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Preventative Measures to Control Landslides in Southwest China
Landslides in the Xiaojiang River Valley in southwest China's Yunnan Province, called the Natural Museum of Landslide, have been effectively curbed after 30 years of hard work.
The 86-kilometer Xiaojiang is a branch of the Jinsha River, which is a tributary of the Yangtze River, and its 140 km-long valley is an area most frequently hit by landslides in China.
Landslides have not only resulted in more than 6 million tons of silt into the Yangtze every year, but also caused heavy casualties and property losses.
Since the 1960s, landslides have damaged 2,100 hectares of farmland and killed 187 people.
To curb the disasters in the area, the central and local governments have spent more than 10 million yuan in landslide control projects each year and adopted three measures: stabilizing mountain slopes through afforestation, constructing levees to block mud and rocks, and building troughs to channel mud and rocks to safe places.
In Dongchuan district in the provincial capital of Kunming, more than 50,000 hectares of mountains have been afforested, with 177 levees built and 28 km-long troughs dug.
Feng Yingsong, Dongchuan's chief leader, said that to curb landslide and improve the environment is essential for the survival of Dongchuan, adding that the district will retire 10,000 hectares of farmland and turn it into forests.
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