The lecture, sponsored by the Boston Society of Civil Engineers and MIT's Ralph M. Parsons Laboratory for Water Resources and Hydrodynamics, will present an international panel of speakers representing different viewpoints on dam construction.
Big dams serve multiple purposes.
For example, the Three Gorges Dam, now under construction on the Yangtze River in China, will be the world's largest dam. It is intended to reduce catastrophic flooding, generate electricity and give sea-going ships access to central China. However, it will forcibly relocate 1.13 million people, inundate a spectacular scenic and historic region which also includes important archeological sites, and raise numerous environmental problems. On the other hand, conservative projections of energy demand are for 3.4 percent annual energy growth in China, and hydroelectric power would offset some of the increased use of coal. John R. Freeman, a member of the MIT Class of 1876, was a major American civil engineer who carried out projects throughout the US and abroad.