# Talk:Three Gorges Dam

I assume the earthquakes that are possibly resulting from this massive shift in weight must have been in this article at some point? If they aren't to be mentioned in the article, should we at least comment on that here? see eg https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/geo-2022-0350/html?lang=en though it sure looks on the map like it's a long way away, so maybe it was always "fake news"? But still, surely the rumours are worth mentioning, and the research? 79.225.178.249 (talk) 15:10, 20 October 2024 (UTC)

The sources for the claim that 31 million people were displaced is incorrect and greatly exaggerated.
Sources:
https://www.montana.edu/rmaher/engr125_fl06/Three%20Gorges%20Dam.pdf?
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/china-three-gorges-dam-how-big?
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1193&context=nebanthro& 69.178.91.214 (talk) 13:21, 18 December 2024 (UTC)

Just made an account to complain about this. My best guess is that the 31 million number was mistakenly pulled from Chongqing's total population which is mentioned later in the article. Hoping this boosts your comment! Johnmatulis19 (talk) 18:26, 3 January 2025 (UTC)
@Johnmatulis19 I agree. After doing some research, 31 million is far beyond any credible estimates and likely confuses broader migration trends in China with direct displacements caused by the dam. Officially reported figures is around 1.3 million to 1.4 million. Some independent estimates are higher at up to 2 million. But 31 million is an unprofessional exaggeration. The article needs better scrutiny on these figures. Smalledi (talk) 03:05, 22 February 2025 (UTC)
Yes, they are clearly wrong. My guess is that some past editor likely misinterpreted or exaggerated these numbers by attributing general population movements in the whole region to the dam's construction. Chongqing, a rapidly growing mega city, which is near the dam, has had mass urban migration over the decades due to economic policies, large scale industrialization - and all these factors are clearly separate from the dam in driving demographic shifts. I have since corrected and cited reliable sources from CNN, University of California, Science Direct and gave their figures which all of them are significantly less than 31 million, albeit still big at around 1.3 million. Thank you both for the good catch and bringing needed awareness to double check for accuracy. Smalledi (talk) 03:38, 22 February 2025 (UTC)