1. Three Gorges Dam, China
Type: Hydroelectric power plant and dam on the Yangtze River
Largest hydroelectric power station in the world (installed capacity: 22,500 MW)
Length: 2,335 m | Height: 185 m
Significance:
✅ Supplies electricity to millions of homes
✅ Reduces the risk of downstream flooding
✅ Enables inland river navigation
✅ Significant reduction in CO₂ emissions
2. Hoover Dam, USA
Location: Border of Nevada and Arizona, on the Colorado River
Completed: 1936
Height: 221 m | Length: 379 m
Significance:
✅ Provides water and electricity to Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Southern California
✅ Enabled the development of the American Southwest
✅ Icon of American engineering and the “New Deal” era
✅ Created Lake Mead, a major reservoir
3. Itaipu Dam, Brazil / Paraguay
On the Paraná River, between Brazil and Paraguay
Capacity: 14,000 MW (second-largest in the world)
Length: 7,919 m | Height: 196 m
Significance:
✅ Covers 90% of Paraguay’s electricity needs
✅ Reduces reliance on fossil fuels
✅ Strong symbol of regional cooperation and energy independence
4. Pont du Gard Aqueduct, France (Roman Era)
Built: 1st century AD
Type: Ancient Roman aqueduct
Length: 275 m | Height: 49 m
Significance:
✅ Prime example of ancient hydraulic engineering
✅ Supplied water to the city of Nîmes
✅ UNESCO World Heritage Site – a symbol of the longevity of hydraulic
structures
5. Great Man-Made River Project, Libya
Designed: In the 1980s, under Gaddafi’s regime
Purpose: To transfer fossil water from the Nubian aquifer in the desert to coastal
cities
Scope: Over 2,800 km of pipelines
Significance:
✅ Supplies more than 70% of Libya’s population with water
✅ One of the largest infrastructure projects in a desert environment
✅ Greatly expanded agriculture in arid regions
Conclusion
These structures are more than just engineering feats—they are symbols of
humanity’s ability to control water, one of the most powerful natural forces. Their
impact is massive:
Power and water supply
Agricultural and industrial development
Flood control and climate mitigation
Long-term strategic resource for nations