A project to improve Tianchi Lake in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region at a cost of
300 million yuan (US$38.5 million) is currently underway. The
two-phase project is expected to be completed in three years.
In the first phase, the focus will be on removing sludge and
building flood control dams. The second phase will deal with
ecological protection and reinforcement in the lake's more
dangerous sections.
On completion of the project, the total area of the lake will be
enlarged to roughly 20 square kilometers. Tianchi Lake is a
well-known tourist spot in China but with the rapid degradation of
the grasslands, it is faced with heavy sedimentation from soil
erosion.
(www.cnr.cn June 28, 2007)
