"Evolution of Ecosystem Approaches in Yangtze River Management", Guangchun Lei, School of Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University

1. 14th International Riversymposium, Sept 26-29, Brisbane
Evolution of Ecosystem Approaches in
Yangtze River Management
Guangchun Lei
School of Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University

2. 20% Chinese Territory
30% Chinese Population
35% China’s Water Res.
40% Chinese GDP

3. Origins at Tanggula Mountain in Tibet Plateau,
Yangtze River flows 6300 km to reach Shanghai

5. However, the Living Yangtze
rivers has
生态规律
been largely
manipulated
• 60% wetland lost
• 3000 km Dyke
• >1,000 big dams
• Water Diversion

6. Deforestation, Reclamation for Grain Production
1900
1200000
s
1000000
1998
800000
Changes of Forest
Area (sq.km.)
600000
400000
Ecosystems (1900-
200000 1998)
0
E
F
F
E
F
BM
F
F
D
D
B
G
S
S
B
O
S
S
S
S
EO
SE
SL
ST
C
C
TC
TD
DB
DE
DT
LW
TS
SC
SD
TL
SB
SS
RH
TS
H
C
M
C
Forest habitat types
30
25 覆盖率% National Forest Coverage Rate
20
15
10
5
0
1700 1750 1800 1850 1900 1949 1960 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2003 2008

7. Upstream
Deforestation
+
Downstream
Wetland
Reclamation
║
Dongting Is
Disappearing

8. Disappearance of the
“Thousand-lake State”
in Jianghan Plain
江汉平原千湖之国的消失

9. Dyke Has to Be Heighten Year after Years

10. Flooding: a Natural Phenomenon that Maintains
Ecological Processes (Central Yangtze Floodplain)

11. Rising Dykes Have Cut off Natural Links
between the River & Its Flood Plains
(thousands of lakes)

12. 1992
1997
1999
Satellite image of Yangtze Estuary

13. Increasing Frequency of Flooding
1
0. 9
0. 8
0. 7
0. 6
0. 5
0. 4
0. 3
0. 2
0. 1
0
1300s 1600s 1930s 1980s 1990s 2000s

14. The More Invested for Hydrological
Engineering, the Worse in Flooding
Increase of Water
Works Investment

15. The More Invest in Hydrological Work, the
Less Fish
Total Fish
Catching Fries of 4 Major
430 3 economic fish
(1000 Tones)
(billion)
《100 《0.1
1954 1996－2001 1960 1997－2001
2 Eel Fries
324 Crabs
(Tones) 100 million
《16 0.4
1996 2001 1995 2001

16. Biodiversity
Crisis 100 Species Threatened

17. Upstream vegetation
recovery
Down stream
wetland restoration
1998 flooding led to
the promulgation of
32-character river
basin management
policy

18. WWF Partnership for Living Yangtze
Programm (1999-)
• Policy and Modeling Studies (Hydrological
Modeling, Social Economic Modeling and
Ecological Modeling)
• Pilot Demonstration (Wetland Restoration,
Alternative Livelihood, Sustainable
Development)
• Communication and Magnification

19. 适 洪 农 业
平垸行洪后的农民，失去了原有的生产资料——耕地，却换来了价值更高的湿地资源。为保护和可持续
利用湿地资源，世界自然基金会（WWF)和湖南青少年发展基金会(CYDF)在地方政府的支持下，会同专家与
当地村民，对西畔山洲垸未来新的产业结构调整进行了“参与式规划”，将新产业门类分解成面上项目、重
点项目和试点项目，鼓励村民自己做主选择新的适洪产业。
Motivated
The Processes farmers
村民兴致勃勃地参与产业结构调整规划

20. First Step: farmers initially
choose reliable, traditional
income generation activity
Second Step: diversification
income generation (Ducks,
Chickens, Organic Fishery, etc.)
Experimental Projects:
Cattle, goats, other wetland
sustainable use

21. Ecotourism

22. The Polder Was Restored as Wetlands in
1999
移到高处，有了新房没了田
1999年底，世界自然基金会(WWF)与中国青少年发展基金会（CYDF）联合，选定西畔山洲垸做
为平垸行洪示范项目基地，会同当地政府和农民，共同研究探讨平垸行洪和湿地恢复过程中的可持
续发展模式 ,幵从技术、资金等方面支持和鼓励当地农民发展新的洪水型替代产业。

23. Three Years Later
We are not
Income afraid of
RMB/year flood any
10000
/family more
8000
6000
4000
2000
0
1998 2001

24. 4 Years After Restoration
2,000 ha pilot Restoration
65,000 ha Restored in
Dongting Lake region
> 100,000 ha Restored in
Central Yangtze

26. How to Sustain These Changes?
Need A Mechanism to ensure coordination of
future effort in the right direction
• > 400 Million People Live in
• > 19 Provincial Governments within river basin
• > 10 Ministries responsible for resources
management
All of them have the power to change future
development directions

27. How to Sustain These Changes?
IRBM
China Council for International
Cooperation on Environment and
Development Task Force (2003-2004)

28. IRBM Task Force Recommendations
Institutions and Legislation
Stakeholder and Public Participation
√[Yangtze Forum]
Economic Measures and Incentives
√[Eco-compensation]
Develop and apply IRBM-related technologies
√[Recycle Economy]

29. However Impact of Fast Development
on Rivers Far Exceeded Imagination
Significant Impact of
Sand Mining and Dams
Appeared
80% of the sediments trapped
in the reservoir, clear water
flushes river bed downstream

31. Wetland Restoration in Central Yangtze
reached a limited success only, new challenges
may be even more serious
Asymmetric
Erosion of
River bed
versus Lake

32. Growing of Chongming Island
soon be Reversed
1992
1997
1999
See Level
Raising
Worsen
Coast
Erosion

33. Case Study of Poyang Lake
(The Largest Chinese Freshwater Lake)
Satellite Image of June-Aug Satellite Image of Dec-Feb

34. A trend towards prolonged dry season
单
位
：
m
100
<10m 〈9m 〈8m
90
80
70
平均累积天数
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
1960-1969 1970-1979 1980-1989 1990-1999 2000-2008
时间

35. Local Government Proposal: Damming the Lake
All related provincial
government, in particular
Shanghai, Anhui expressed
concerns
International societies,
Ramsar, IUCN, ICF, as
well as related
countries worried

36. Why?
1956-2008年星子站水位与水鸟迁徙变化规律
22
20
Arrival of Migratory Birds
18
16
14
25%保证率
Grass growing
水位/ m
12
水位旬平均值
10 75%保证率
8 15m
6 13.75m
12.85m
4
11.35m
2
0
9月上
9月中
9月下
10月上
10月中
10月下
11月上
11月中
11月下
12月上
12月中
12月下
1月上
1月中
1月下
2月上
2月中
2月下
3月上
3月中
3月下

37. It also has to block flooding water from Yangtze
Due to
Significantly
Increased
Flooding Risks
Disturb Migratory
Fishes

38. Ecosystem Management
Recommendations
• Biodiversity, Flood Mitigation, Clean Water and
Culture are by far the most important ecosystem
services of Poyang Lake
• Any project in upstream, or downstream may have
significant impact on its ecosystem services, and
therefore, an integrated river basin management
should be in place
• Other services (fishery, raw material, navigations, etc,
etc） should give way to the above priorities. Dam
option should never considered. However, local
community should be properly compensated

39. Ecosystem Approaches Assessment on Current Program
Principle Wetland Fishing Pollution Conserva Lake
restoration Ban Control tion Dam**
Fair
Democracy
Linkage
Ecological
Economy
Priority for
Conservation
Cautionary
Scale
Long-term goal
Adaptive
Balance
Information
Participation

40. Conclusions
• Yangtze River Management Experienced from
sectoral to multi-sector dialogue transition, but
challenges remains
• IRBM is the key mechanism to ensure river
management integrated with social economic
development, which can greatly help the basin
wide dialogue
• Ecosystem Approach principles offered simple
methodology for the implementation of IRBM

41. THANK YOU