The Key Role of Water Resources Management in Ecological Restoration in Western China

Dados Bibliográficos

ID5877209
AutoresXiaoping Yang (0000-0001-8702-1813, Chinese Academy of Sciences, autor correspondente), Jufeng Dong (Chinese Academy of Sciences), Paul D White (0000-0001-6200-5489, Chinese Academy of Sciences)
Ano2006
Volume44
Fascículo2
Páginas146-154
Data de publicação2006-06-01
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoGeographical Research (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 1745-5863 • E-ISSN: 1745-5871
EditoraWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/j.1745-5871.2006.00378.x
OpenAlexW2160823293
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas6
Referências citadas8

The interactions of nature and society are intimately reflected in the degradation of the vast, yet diverse, landscapes and ecosystems of arid western China. The development of agriculture, especially irrigation, has altered rivers, soils and ecosystems so much that major ecological rehabilitation and restoration efforts have been needed since 1950. The catchments of the Tarim River in southern Xinjiang (the Tarim Basin) and of the Black River (Hei He) in Gansu Province and western Inner Mongolia provide examples of the benefits, difficulties and conflicts involved in dryland water management. In the early stages of the human development of these catchments, agriculture depending on irrigation using water from these inland rivers was encouraged. The over-exploitation of these water resources led to such ecological problems as desiccation of lakes, drying out of rivers, degradation of soils and vegetation and lowering of groundwater levels, with consequent environmental and economic impacts. Since 1990 several high-cost, national projects to re-establish ecosystems have been initiated. Water is now released from dams in the headwaters of the rivers in order to restore water flows to the dried out lake basins. Such schemes have inevitably led to social problems and difficulties for the people who depended on the water from the dams for local irrigation. The contrasts in adjustments and attitudes over the use of water for agriculture and other economic activities, as opposed to schemes of restoration of ecosystems and ecological engineering, stem largely from two issues; inconsistent provision of information from the scientific community, and differing ideologies, namely environmental protection versus economic development

Agriculture · Arid · China · Ecosystem · Environmental degradation · Geography · Irrigation · Restoration Ecology · Water resource management · Water resources · Environmental and Agricultural Sciences · Environmental Science · Forest, Soil, and Plant Ecology in China · Rangeland Management and Livestock Ecology · Ecology