Officials started a cross-province project on Friday to supply
water to a drying wetland to ensure the survival of hundreds of
endangered species of waterfowl, fauna and flora inhabiting the
Xianghai National Nature Reserve.
In the next 25 days, more than 63 million cubic meters of water
are scheduled to flow out of the Cha'ersen Reservoir in the Inner
Mongolia Autonomous Region to the downstream wetland in Jilin
Province, which has been plagued by four consecutive years of
drought.
The reserve, the largest of its type and host to numerous
endangered wild animals and waterfowl species, was put on the
International Important Marsh list in 1992 but is now close to
drying up.
"Fifty million cubic meters of water will flow into the Xianghai
Reserve through a 194-kilometre irrigation canal, then raise the
water level up to 1.5 meters and make the drying swamp wet again,"
said Gao Yongchang, top official of the Cha'ersen Reservoir
Administrative Bureau.
The release of the water, which could be used for
hydroelectricity generation and irrigation, is estimated to be
costing the Cha'ersen reservoir 6 million yuan (US$722,900).
This is the second time the central government has sacrificed
economic benefits to revive wetlands and improve the worsening
ecosystem.
In 2002, China launched its first campaign to supply water to a
shrinking wetland area in an effort to protect endangered
red-crowned cranes inhabiting the Zhalong National Reserve in
northeast China's Heilongjiang
Province.
"Over 61 percent of our 3,600 hectares of drying marsh will be
hopefully rehabilitated to its primitive natural landscape soon
with the supplied water," an official for the Xianghai National
Nature Reserve said.
Zhao Jun, deputy-director of the reserve zone, was confident the
water from upstream Inner Mongolia could prevent hundreds of
endangered species of fauna and flora from dying, including the
Mongolian yellow elm and red-crowned cranes.
E Jingping, vice-minister of water resources, said he hoped the
water transfer can prevent further shrinkage of the wetland. This
would ensure the survival of all of the wetlands' endangered
species and preserve biodiversity.
"It is of vital importance for China to help people be
harmonious with nature and ensure sustainable development of the
economy and society," he said.
The vice-minister vowed to optimize China's existing water
resources in the years ahead. While ensuring water supply for the
country's human inhabitants, the government will also use water to
improve the country's ecosystem, he insisted.
As one of the major habitats for China's red-crowned cranes,
Xianghai Wetland is home to about 50 of the elegant waterfowl,
including 30 that have been artificially reared.
"The 15 pairs of red-crowned cranes have to be fed in a pen now
due to the swamp's worsening drought which is damaging their
natural food chain," said Zhao.
"Only one pair of artificially reared cranes can be set free in
the marsh to breed naturally because of the lack of fish, a major
food for the crane in the wetlands ," he said. "We have to feed the
rest with fish bought from the market and water from wells."
Experts said drought has threatened the survival of Xianghai's
wild fauna and flora in recent years.
Salinization and desertification can be clearly seen expanding
in the reserve, shrinking its inland wetland and imbalancing the
ecosystem.
Covering 105,460 hectares, the nature reserve contains nearly
30,000 hectares of woodland including Mongolian yellow elm, more
than 12,000 hectares of lakes and water areas, 23,600 hectares of
reedy swamp and 30,000 hectares of meadow.
Around 600 species of wild flora are found growing in the
reserve, which is also home to 300 species of birds and 37 animal
species. Of these, 10 species are under the government's top-level
protection, with the other 42 listed for second-degree
protection.
China has 600,000 square kilometers of wetlands, 10 percent of
the world's total and the largest area in Asia.
(China Daily June 26, 2004)