Public attitudes toward hydropower in China: The role of information provision and partisan identification

The development of hydropower projects needs public support. Although China has led the world in hydropower development during the past few decades, little is known about how the Chinese public views existing hydropower projects and future hydropower development plans. Based on an online survey experiment (N = 2971), this study investigates the effects of five types of information provision, including (1) power generation benefit, (2) emission reduction benefit, (3) flood control, navigation and grid benefits, (4) negative environmental impact and (5) involuntary migration impact of hydropower, and partisan identification on public attitudes to China's hydropower policy and most representative hydropower project, the Three Gorges Project. First, information provision about the benefits of power generation has no significant effect on public attitudes to the Three Gorges Project and China's hydropower development plans. Second, information provision about the benefits of emission reduction and flood control, navigation and grid effects can significantly increase public evaluation of the Three Gorges Project, but does not influence public support for abstract hydropower development plans. Third, information provision about the negative impacts on the environment and involuntary migration can significantly decrease public evaluation of the Three Gorges Project and support for hydropower development plans. Finally, Chinese Communist Party members have more positive attitudes to China's hydropower development plans and the Three Gorge Project than the non-members, and they are more responsive to environmental information but less responsive to the migration issue.