World to Get Its Tallest Dam

The title of world's tallest dam may shift to a new country in a decade's time. Plans for a 1,030-foot dam—45 feet taller than the current title holder, Tajikistan's Nurek dam—have gotten the green light from China's environmental ministry. The $4.4 billion dam would enable a hydropower project earmarked for Sichuan province and produce twice as much energy as the Hoover Dam. True to form, the OK came even as the ministry admitted that the dam would deal a blow to rare or threatened fish and plants, according to state-run media.

The ministry proposed some measures to combat the potential harm, including "protecting fish habitats in tributaries, building fish ladders, and increasing fish breeding and releasing ... as well as constructing seed banks." The Guardian notes that critics fear this and other dams' impact on the area's earth: It's prone to earthquakes and landslides.