China has relocated a total of more than 15 million residents
for about 80,000 reservoir projects it has built since 1949, said
Wang Shucheng, Minister of Water Resources.
The minister said China has properly handled the resettlement
issues due to the efforts by the Chinese government and the
country's actual conditions. Many reservoirs in China are located
in mountainous areas, where local residents were quite poor before
resettlement and supported migration, he said.
Resettlement for reservoir projects has created opportunities
for local residents to get rid of poverty, said the minister. China
has invited officials from the World Bank and Asian Development
Bank to inspect the relocation programs of residents for reservoir
construction projects.
The minister said China took various measures including
establishment of special organizations and the Chongqing
Municipality directly under the central government to help 1.1
million residents in Three Gorges Reservoir areas to make way for
the world's biggest Three Gorges dam project under
construction.
(Xinhua News Agency May 4, 2004)