 As well as producing electricity , the dam is intended to increase the Yangtze River 's shipping capacity and reduce the potential for floods downstream by providing flood storage space . The Chinese government regards the project as a historic engineering , social and economic success , with the design of state @-@ of @-@ the @-@ art large turbines , and a move toward limiting greenhouse gas emissions . However , the dam flooded archaeological and cultural sites and displaced some 1 @.@ 3 million people , and is causing significant ecological changes , including an increased risk of landslides . The dam has been a controversial topic both domestically and abroad . 
