In Hong Kong, studying Geography is categorized as useless because the culture of British Meritocracy here stresses the achievements of business studies. However, if going back to Mainland China or having a travel to either the US or Australia, you will find that your knowledge on Geography is very useful because the ruling regimes there greatly acknowledge the elites who graduated from the field of Agricultural Research. Cynical people without a longsighted vision use to criticize that my Master Degree of China Studies is something too abstract because they use to be British-Hong Kong colonial debrises. However, they never know that, during my two-year research life in this academic department, I did render some challenging topics including the river-management and dam-construction issues of Mainland China. Just like what Mr. Tung Chee-hwa said in 2014 during a press conference: "Our country is rapidly growing up as a strong economic power. To my greatest disappointment, Hong Kong people still lack a long-sighted vision, and they are unwilling to change their perceptions." So, such group of people will never understand the scholastic efforts I have input in this holistic social-science learning experience.

1. Water Issues in China
Lee Kwun Leung Vincent
09429670
Master of Social Science in Contemporary China Studies (History)

2. 5 major types of water-related disasters in the
continental provinces of China
 Flooding
 Heavy rainstorm, melting of snow, or breaches
from dikes and dams
 Silting-initiated water disaster
 Overloaded water, which is accumulated in
farmlands, cannot be released to ocean as the
underground drainages are choked
 Drought
 Water Pollution
 Mud-rock flow

3. Several reasons due to rapid urbanization in China
that cause the abnormal water circulation
 Shadow underground strata
 Low-lying lands
 Poor structure of canals
 Overemphasis on irrigation, under-emphasis on
drainage system
 Public transport avenues - cementation of
respiratory soil
 Conflicts with either the neighboring provinces or
border countries - hinder the progress of pushing
forward a cross-boundary water exclusion

4. Predictable works that we anticipate PRC to
carry out for preventing riverside provinces
from the risk of water-related disasters:
 Artificial re-vegetation along the Yellow
River:
 Regions include: Daduhe ( 大渡河 ),
Jinshajiang ( 金沙江 ), Upper stream of
Minjiang ( 岷江上游 ), Anninghe ( 安寧
河 ), Longcunjiang ( 龍川江 ) and so forth
Source: Yang Tingshi and Lu Rongfeng, “Root of Mankind – Water and Land
Resources in Eco-Antropological Perspective”, Yunan, Yuannan University Press,
1st
Edition in January 2004

5. Why is there a continuous loss of
moisturized soil since the urbanization in
the era of Reform & Opening-Up?
 The exploitation of coal mines for strategic
manufacture since 1986:
 Shenfu Mining District ( 神府礦區 )
 Dongcheng Mining District ( 東勝礦區 )
 Zhungeer Mining District ( 准格爾礦區 )
 Hedong Mining District ( 河東礦區 )
Source: Edited by the Moisturised Soil Conservation Bureau of Yellow River Water
Management Committee, “A Research on the Maintenance of Moisturized Soil in Yellow
River Region”, Zhengzhou, Yellow River Water Management Publishing Company Limited,
1st
Edition in September 1997

6. Suggested measure:
Categorization of conserved lands according to
topographical differences
 Small Hill Regions
 To narrow and deepen the valleys of Huangtu Hill
Region ( 黃土丘陵區 )
 To widen and shadow the canals of Huangtu Hill Region
for a better communication of water
 Sandstorm Regions
 Protection slopes and barriers
 River-shoal Regions
 Plantation of Bushes
Source: Edited by the Moisturised Soil Conservation Bureau of Yellow River Water
Management Committee, “A Research on the Maintenance of Moisturized Soil in Yellow
River Region”, Zhengzhou, Yellow River Water Management Publishing Company Limited,
1st
Edition in September 1997

7. Why does the risk of flooding persist for so many
centuries in Long River and Yellow River?
 The riverbed becomes shadow due to the choking
sediments, whereas the soil structure of riverbed is
further loosened.
 Resolution:
 Contain the impact of global warming and over-
deforestation that threaten the stability of upper stream
in the Western mountainous region
 Prevent from desertification of soil along the river shore
 Prevent from the rapid melting of snow that leads to an
abnormal growth of water capacity

8. The cut-off problem in the lower streams of
Yellow River
 Reasons:
 Tremendous increase in industrial-used water
due to the 30%-rise of urban population along
the coast of Yellow River
 The impact of large reservoirs coincides with the
insufficient natural water resources from either
upper stream or rainfall
 These all stimulate the risk of silting or
drought
Source: Edited by the Secretary for Natural Conservation of PRC Environmental
Protection Bureau, “The Cut-off of Yellow River and Sustainable Development in its Delta
Area”, Beijing, Chinese Environmental Science Publishing Company Limited, 1st
Edition in
May 1997

9. As the Secretary for Natural Conservation of PRC
Environmental Protection Bureau suggests…
 Speed up the construction of “urban sewage
management system” with a combination of
both concentration module and scattering
module
 Re-emphasize the rendering works to modify
the ecological condition of upper streams
 Institutional control on industrial operations

10. As the Secretary for Natural Conservation of PRC
Environmental Protection Bureau suggests… (continued)
 Increase the price of irrigation water
 Lead the irrigation management
departments to move towards the goal of
entrepreneurisation
 Implement a joint scientific coordination
among reservoirs in Longyang Gorge ( 龍羊
峽 ), Liujia Gorge ( 劉家峽 ) and Sanmen
Gorge ( 三門峽 )

11. As the Secretary for Natural Conservation of PRC
Environmental Protection Bureau suggests… (continued)
 Strengthen the work of rendering the muddy
and sandy sediments in the middle stream of
Yellow River
 Speed up the construction of reservoirs in
middle stream
 Endeavour to complete the west-lined scheme
of constructing drainages for a northward
transition of water resources from southern
provinces

12. Questions for free discussion (1)
 Knowing that pros and cons coexist in both
“artificial modification” and “ecological
preservation”, how does the PRC strive a
balance between two sorts of measures to
maintain the appropriate order of water
resources in northern provinces and the entire
Yellow River stream?

13. Questions for free discussion (2)
 Do you think that “uneven topography” is a
prior reason to hinder PRC from diverting the
water resources to droughty streams due to
predictably great sum of expenditure, as well as
maintaining a stable water flow by infra-
structural or scientific means? How can the PRC
Government overcome such inborn obstacle?

14. Conclusion
 Provinces along the middle and upper stream of
either Yellow or Long River, with regards to its
poor financial condition, still lack sufficient
governmental funds to completely modify the
channel quality and coordinate with the eastern
coastal provinces to introduce advanced infra-
structural technology for better water
management.
 The improvement of river-flow mechanism has
to be accommodated by an ecological mode of
agro-economy and a maintenance on biological
diversity within regions along the river shore.

15. Reference materials
 Yang Tingshi and Lu Rongfeng, “Root of Mankind – Water and
Land Resources in Eco-Anthropological Perspective”, Yunan,
Yuannan University Press, 1st
Edition in January 2004
 Edited by the Moisturised Soil Conservation Bureau of Yellow
River Water Management Committee, “A Research on the
Maintenance of Moisturized Soil in Yellow River Region”,
Zhengzhou, Yellow River Water Management Publishing
Company Limited, 1st
Edition in September 1997
 Edited by the Secretary for Natural Conservation of PRC
Environmental Protection Bureau, “The Cut-off of Yellow River
and Sustainable Development in its Delta Area”, Beijing,
Chinese Environmental Science Publishing Company Limited,
1st
Edition in May 1997