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China Sees Effect of Yangtze River Eco-project
China's major soil erosion control project launched in 1989 at the upper reaches of the country's longest river, the Yangtze, has gradually paid off.
As one of China's largest and most stable ecosystem construction projects, the Yangtze River soil erosion control project helped reduce some 68,000 square kilometers of erosion coverage along the river over the past 12 years, or recovering some 5,000 square kilometers of eroded soil on average every year.
According to Hu Jiajun, a senior official in charge of the project, the soil conservation project has been in consecutive steps expanded from the upper to the middle reaches and is ultimately targeted at the whole drainage area.
The Chinese government approved an investment package of 273 million yuan (US$32 million) into the project last year, which more than doubled the amount appropriated five years ago.
The mammoth funds have been spent treating erosion by turning sloped farming into terrace ecological farming and afforesting the mountain slopes along the river, which have benefited a total of 11 provinces and cities.
The Danjiangkou Reservoir, a fresh water source of the central route of China's south-north water diversion project, and China's two largest fresh water lakes along the Yangtze, have been designated as the key project area.
So far, the ecological improvement project has covered more than 1,800 small drainage areas, turning eroded land into ideal residential areas, since terrace fields along the river have been increased to 540,000 hectares by the end of last year. In project areas, the greenery coverage rate has increased to 55.8 percent, doubling that before the project.
Small-sized water conservation works were built for water drainage, storing and irrigating to create sustainable agriculture conditions for the terrace.
At present, per-capita arable land in the project areas reached 700 square meters, and the per-capita annual grain output rose to 400 kilograms.
Farmers were taught to grow cash crops and fruits. Even those in underdeveloped mountainous areas along the river have come to realize the importance of an environment in harmony with their life.
"The ecological project has taught farmers to make better use of the river's resources, and thus opening up a new path to boost local economy," said Liu Jiang, vice minister in charge of the State Development Planning Commission.
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