{"id":15370,"date":"2023-12-31T09:00:03","date_gmt":"2023-12-31T08:00:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aboutriver.com\/?p=15370"},"modified":"2023-12-31T09:00:03","modified_gmt":"2023-12-31T08:00:03","slug":"how-is-the-yangtze-river-used","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aboutriver.com\/how-is-the-yangtze-river-used\/","title":{"rendered":"How Is The Yangtze River Used"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Yangtze, one of the world’s longest and most iconic rivers, stretches an impressive 4,900 kilometres through China. While it is known for its scenic beauty, with its rich biodiversity, vibrant culture, and notable hydropower potential, it is also a major artery for transporting goods, resources, and people. It has been crisscrossed by bridges, canals and railways, allowing it to become a major hub for transportation and manufacturing in China.<\/p>\n

The river carries the bulk of China’s east-west trade and provides access for over 400 million people along its banks. The Yangtze basin is the largest freshwater fishery resource in the country, providing food for numerous fish and marine life species. It is also used for agricultural water extraction and waterway transportation, while its hydropower potential is harnessed through the use of dams and hydropower generating stations.<\/p>\n

In addition to the socio-economic benefits it brings, the Yangtze has also become an important source of renewable energy. China’s 13th Five-Year Plan (2016 – 2021) has placed great emphasis on the development of clean energy sources. To this end, China has built numerous hydropower projects on the Yangtze River, with a target of generating at least 200 gigawatts of electricity from hydropower by 2020.<\/p>\n

The river’s abundant water resources and strategic position make it the ideal choice for renewable energy projects. With nearly 90% of the nation’s hydropower resources located in the Yangtze delta region, it is estimated that the number of hydropower plants will exceed 1,000 by the end of 2020, representing 26% of China’s total hydropower capacity, and making it a primary source of energy for the nation.<\/p>\n