advantages and disadvantages of China’s dam-building policy
Assignment 2
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of China’s dam-building policy? Is it wise for the Chinese government to emphasize dam construction?
Nearly all rivers in China are dammed, thanks to a robust program to construct reservoirs to cater for water, electricity and agricultural needs of the most populous country in the world. The benefits of this policy are obvious. China has enough water to support its agricultural sector, which is the largest in the world, produce electricity, and control floods. A good example is the three Gorges dam, which contributes over 17% to the national grid and controls floods in the downstream of the Yangtze River (Stone, 2008). At the same time, these reservoirs cause negative impacts such as ecosystem degradation, biodiversity depletion, and population displacement.
- What would be the main result, both positive and negative, if Japan were to allow the importation of rice and open its agricultural lands to urban development?
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If Japan opened its agricultural lands for urban development while allowing importation, a ripple effect would result in its economy. There would be an explosion in the number of foreign and local investments as a result of the additional land available for urban development. However, allowing importation of rice, in the short term, would lead to a negative effect on the Balance of Payment accounts of Japan. In the long term, additional foreign investment would cushion this negative effect on the economy.
- What are the pros and cons of the Green Revolution as a means of increasing the South? Asia’s food supplies? What the advantages and disadvantages are of irrigated Agriculture in India and Pakistan? What is the outlook for the next decade?
The green revolution, or other the Third Agricultural Revolution, has many advantages. This is because it leads to the adoption of new technologies and high yielding varieties, which in turn leads to increased output (Khush, 2001). Irrigated agriculture in India and Pakistan can significantly improve yields and bring more land under cultivation. However, extensive irrigated agriculture can bring water conflicts in societies.
- What are the drawbacks and benefits of using English as a national language in India? Might it help or hinder unity? Would it increase or decrease India’s links to the Contemporary world?
Adopting English as a national language in India could be very beneficial in uniting the vastly populous nation. This is because English is considered a neutral language in most parts of India. Additionally, the adoption of English as a national language in India would definitely lead to more links between India and the contemporary world.
References
Khush, G. S. (2001). Green revolution: the way forward. Nature reviews genetics, 2(10), 815-822.
Stone, R. (2008). Three Gorges Dam: into the unknown.