This resource provides you with a case study of a major human modification to the environment, the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River in China. Many of the important issues facing modern society are the consequences – whether intended or unintended – of human modifications to the physical environment. Environmental modifications have economic, cultural, and political implications for most of the world's people, and therefore, it is important for you to understand the reasons for and the consequences of human modifications to the environment. The goal of this resource is to analyze the costs, benefits, and impacts of the Three Gorges Dam.

Before you begin your case study on the Three Gorges Dam, let's examine another example of human modification to the environment, The Panama Canal, opened in 1914, is a manmade passageway that connected two major waterways and transformed worldwide travel. View the presentation below to see how the human modification of the environment continues to impact the Panama Canal:

Panoramas: Expanding the Shortcut Between the Seas

In your notes, describe how the expansion of the Panama Canal is an example of human modification of the environment.