Scientists in the program, organized by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and carried out in the past five years, say theoretical research shows that when completed the Three Gorges reservoir can store 39.3 billion cubic meters of water.

They hold that huge lake will function as an "air-conditioner”, lowering the temperature in nearby Chongqing municipality by five degrees Celsius (41 degrees Fahrenheit) during summer and raising its temperature by three to four degrees Celsius (37 to 39 degrees Fahrenheit) during winter.

The research program has passed expert appraisals, the Chongqing Evening News reported.

CAS sent scientists from six fields of science to study the meteorology, geography, geology, biology and other natural phenomena in the reservoir area from Chongqing to Yichang city in central China's Wuhan Province.

Researches show that with a storage capacity of 39.3 billion cubic meters, the reservoir will submerge 632 sq km (244 sq mi)of land, originally belonging to Chongqing and Hubei province respectively, causing noticeable changes to the hydrology, chemical properties and sediment of the rivers in the reservoir area.

The reservoir will also make local air moister and bring more rain to the area. As a result, the number of games and plants will multiply, according to researchers.

Yu Xiaogan, who led the research program, said wild birds could not find any landing sites in the Three Gorges area in the past due to the rapid flow of this section of the Yangtze River, China's longest.

When completed, the reservoir's wide water surface and warm climate would form a "paradise" for birds. And the reservoir would also store abundant food for fish washed down from local streams and rivers, Yu said.

The Three Gorges reservoir will begin storing water in 2003.

(Xinhua News Agency July 2, 2002)