The surface area of the
Dongting Lake will be restored by 2010 to 4,350 square
kilometers, the lake's size before the foundation of the People's
Republic of China. The local migration project is already in full
wing. Recently, the project's broad-spectrum plan for the Dongting
Lake area in Hunan
Province, dubbed the "4350 Project," was made known to the
public.
The "4350 Project" covers the 23 counties of Hunan Province, all of
which connect with the Dongting Lake, including eight counties of
Yueyang City, eight counties of Changde City, five counties of
Yiyang City, and two counties of Changsha City, the capital city of
Hunan.
According to the plan, farmland adjacent to 12 dykes in the 23
counties will be restored to the lake from 2003 to 2010. As a
result, the Dongting Lake will return to its former size of 4,350
square kilometers once the lake's water level rise to its full
height during the flood season. Various methods of resettlement
will be employed to guarantee the smooth relocation of some 1.02
million local residents currently living alongside the 12 dykes in
the area.
The Dongting Lake area is a major grain and cotton production base
in China. However, due to people's lack of knowledge concerning the
important relationships which exist between humans and nature, soil
erosion in the middle and upper reaches of the Yangtze River as
well as the valley areas of the four rivers (Xiangjiang River,
Zijiang River, Yuanjiang River and Lishui River, all of which
converge into the Dongting Lake) has reached crisis point. Large
amounts of silt have been deposited in the lake region. The lake's
surface area has decreased dramatically from 6,000 square
kilometers in 1825 to 4,350 square kilometers just before the
founding of the PRC. By 1995, the lake's surface area had shrunk to
just 2,625 square kilometers.
As
the riverbed and lake's water level continue to rise, flood storage
and the carrying capacity of the Dongting Lake has gradually
diminished. The contrasts between the needs of humans and those of
lake have been highlighted by the increasing frequency of floods in
the area. Direct economic losses, as a result of flooding, have
been dramatic. In 1996 and 1998 economic losses amounted to 15
billion yuan (US$1.81 billion) and 8.9 billion yuan (US$1.07
billion) respectively.
According to the "4350 Project," measures for the resettlement are
to be conducted in line with local conditions. Dispersed
resettlement will be combined with collective resettlement and
government directed resettlement with individuals being sent to
live with relatives and friends. The resettlement process will also
consider agricultural production as a top priority when selecting
appropriate sites.
(china.org.cn by Zhang Tingting, September 26, 2002)