Class Discussion: The Yangtze River and the Three Gorges Dam

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Yangtze River/Three Gorges Dam Project

A. Wednesday, August 14 Class Discussion

Three Gorges Dam Investment Simulation

Dilemma: Should Morgan Stanley Dean Witter disinvest from the Three Gorges Dam Project?

Context: Morgan Stanley Dean Witter has been taking a lot of criticism internationally for its decision to invest in bonds offered by the China Development Bank, which are being used to fund the Three Gorges Dam Project. With calls for a boycott of its company, Morgan Stanley has organized a shareholders meeting to re-consider its investment in this controversial project. It has invited a broad array of voices to discuss the present and future positive and negative impacts of the Yangtze project, including: the economic immpact; the population resettlement issue; allegations of corruption; the safety of the dam (both its construction and location); the environmental impact on climate, plants, and species; energy production and the continuing development and urbanization of the Chinese economy; and the cultural and historic ramifications. At the end of the meeting, the shareholders will hold a vote about whether to continue its investment or not.

Roles: Invited to make presentations at the meeting are:

• Government Officials of the People's Republic of China
• Representatives from the Three Gorges Economic Development Corporation
• Engineers in charge of the Three Gorges Project
• Three Gorges Resettlement Bureau representatives
• An international delegation of environmentalists
• Officials from the World Bank
• An international delegation of archaeologists and anthropologists
• An international delegation of hydrologists and geologists
• A delegation of residents from the Yangtze River Basin who are being resettled
  (note: all of the international delegations can include representatives from China if so desired -- all of the members do not have to be from outside of the country)
• A panel of Morgan Stanley Dean Witter Shareholders

Rules:

• Each position will be argued intelligently and respectfully.
• Each constituency will have three minutes to make its presentation, beginning with an opening statement by the Morgan Stanley Dean Witter shareholders representatives.
• Following all of the presentations, there will be 60 minutes of discussion, led by the Morgan Stanley Shareholders
• The constituencies will then be given five minutes to prepare a two-minute concise and compelling closing statement.
• The Shareholders will then have ten minutes to take its vote, and three minutes to present it.

Role Assignments:

• Government Officials of the People's Republic of China
  May, Ivy, Lindsay
• Representatives from the Three Gorges Economic Development Corporation
  Lana, Derek
• Engineers in charge of the Three Gorges Project
  Craig, Myra
• Three Gorges Resettlement Bureau representatives
  Ray, Liz, Valerie
• An international delegation of environmentalists
  Jacky, Sarah
• Officials from the World Bank
  Uyen, Thebe
• An international delegation of archaeologists and anthropologists
  Chris, Carolyn, Rana
• An international delegation of hydrologists and geologists
  Veronica, Cristina
• A delegation of residents from the Yangtze River Basin who are being resettled
  Helen, Andy
• Panel of Morgan Stanley Dean Witter Shareholders
  Sara, Patrick, Monic, Elaine, Cora

   

B. One of the days/nights on the cruise

Three Gorges Dam Discussion

Go back to the mid-1990s.

If you were members of the Chinese government tasked with making the decision of whether or not to embark on the Three Gorges Dam project, would you have made the decision to go ahead? Why or why not? What steps in making your decision might you take that were not taken by the Chinese government.

Hold this discussion in two groups. Each group should come to a decision of whether or not it would build the dam and an explanation of the rationale and the steps it would take and the input it would invite.

Then have the two groups come together, explain each of the groups' decisions, rationale, and procedures, and then hold a whole group discussion.