Impact of the Three Gorges Dam Overruled by an Extreme Climate Hazard

Abstract

While it is generally difficult to separate the impact of extreme climate events on river catchment conditions from that of human activities, there are unique data available to document this for the catchment area of the Yangtze in the years that the Three Gorges Dam (TGD) started to have an impact. During the second impoundment phase in 2006, the suspended sediment discharge (SSD) and water stored behind the TGD was