(IRTCES news, On 30^th March of 2006): The former Vice-Chairperson of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), Qian Zhengying, member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) and the former Vice Chief Engineer of the Ministry of Water Resources, member of CAE, Xu Qianqing visited the IRTCES to listen to a report presented by Prof. Zhang Ren, Leader of the Three Gorges Project (TGP) Sedimentation Panel on the safety of embankments and flood control at the Jingjiang Reach of the Yangtze River.

Since impoundment of the TGP, very strong scour has occurred in the downstream channel because of reduced sediment concentration in the river. It is predicted that such scour will last a very long time and affect a long distance of the river channel, thus it is very urgent to timely study and forecast the scour process of various key river sections and risks of embankments and countermeasures. The other experts at the meeting include Prof. Lin Bingnan, member of the Chinese Academy of Science (CAS), Prof. Han Qiwei, member of CAE, Prof. Dai Dingzhong, Prof. Tan Ying, Prof. Wang Guixian, Prof. Hu Chunhong and Prof. Cao Wenhong, as well as staff from the Secretariat and Liaison Officers for the Sediment Panel of the TGP.