Environmental Bio-remediation Programmes in China

Dr. Wang Qiming

Counsellor for Science and Technology

Embassy of P. R. China to India

March 7, 2008

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Priority of food and steel Looking back the Chinese history over last 150

years, much of the time was in wars, invasions, turmoil, revolutions and class struggles

Therefore, for a long period, food and steel placed as top priority in the national policies

This has caused the country’s large areas for mountains, lakes, grasslands and forests being cultivated for development of food yielding

As the result, by the year of 1970’s, China’s eco-system had suffered a great deal of deterioration to a critical point --- dust-storms threatening Beijing in a pace much faster than before

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In recent 30 years, China’s development so fast that the pressure of environment and natural resources ever enhanced

Major environmental degradation includes:

Soil and water erosions

Land desertification

Grassland degradation

Forests shrinking

Water resource shortage

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Soil and water erosion Total soil and water erosion area 3.56 million

km2 37% of total national territory

water erosion: 1.65 million km2

wind erosion: 1.91 million km2

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Land desertification

Total land desertification area 1.6 million km2, 16.7% national territory

Changes in last 50 years Land desertification increases 1,560 km2 / year

from 1950s to 1970s

Land desertification increases 2,100 km2 / year from 1970s to 1980s

Land desertification increases 2,460 km2 / year in 1990s

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Grassland degradation

Natural grassland area 2.8 million km2, 28% of total national territory

Percentage of degraded grassland 10% in 1970s 20% in early 1980s 30% in mid 1990s

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Water resources shortage Water shortage: 100 billion m3

Crop loss by drought: 80 million tons/year

Water shortage in cities

There are 669 cities in China

400 cities have water shortage problem

Water pollution

Eutrophication: a major threat of water pollution

56% lakes in China polluted with eutrophication, such as Algae blooms

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A task for survivalIn order to protect the ecological environment, the Chinese government has launched a number of mega bio-remediation programmes:

Protection of nature-reserves

Three-North Shelterbelt Programme: Green Great Wall

Conversion of cropland to forests and grassland

Restoration of lakes through conversion of cropland

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Protection of nature reserves

Legislations on nature reserve protectionState Council on China Conservation

Strategy released in 1987 Regulations on nature reserves

protection in 1994Rules for land management of nature

reserves in 1995Regulation for wild species protection in

1997

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National programmes on wild life protection and nature reserves development

State Administration of Forests Initiated “National Programmes on Wild Life Protection and Nature Reserves Development” in 2001

Goals: to rescue the endangered wild animal and plant species; to expand and improve the development of nature reserves, sanchary ； and to restore and develop rare wild life resources

Objectives: by the year 2020, construct a total of 2,500 nature reserves with total area of 172.8 million hm2, 18% of the national territory

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National programmes on wild life protection and nature reserves development

The first stage (from 2001 to 2010) focusing on projects saving 15 key endangered wild lives including:

Animals: panda, crested Ibis, tiger, golden monkey, Tibetan antelope, Yangtze River crocodile, elephant, gibbon, musk deer, Przewalski’s gazelle, wild deer, crane

Plants: cycad, orchid plants

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Achievements A total of 2,349 nature reserves set up as of June

2006 Total area of nature reserves: 1.5 million km2,

15% of total territory 14 wild animal conservation and breeding

centers, 400 rare plants breeding centers constructed

Endangered wild life species a steady increase Wild panda population: 1,000 Wild elephant population: 270 Wild musk deer: 1,300 Wild tiger: 100 Wild Tibetan antelope: 75,000

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Distribution of national nature reserves (core areas shown in green dots)

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The tiger breeding centre in Northeast China, the biggest in the world, having 800 tigers

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Panda conservation and breeding center in Sichuan Province, China

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Tibetan Antelope Reserve in Qinghai Province, China

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Migration bird reserves at Poyang Lake, Jiangxi Province

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Three-North Shelterbelt Programme

Goals: developing forest shelterbelts ； reducing sand-storms, soil and water erosions ；protecting eco-system in northern China

Objectives: In mountain area: to restore and increase forest coverage In plain and oasis: to build crop-shelter forest network In loess plateau: to build soil and water conservation fores

t In grassland: to plant shrubs for protection of grassland In desert areas: to develop diversified ecosystem by planti

ng wind-break and sand-fixing trees

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Three-North Shelterbelt Programme

Scope of project The Three-North Includes Northeast China,

North China and Northwest China 4,480 km length from west to east 500-1,400 km width from north to south Total project area: 4.07 million km2

40% of the total territory area Biggest nation-wide afforestation project in

China

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Three-North Shelterbelt Programme

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Project tasks To increase forest area from 23 million

hectares to 60 million hectares To increase forest coverage from 5% to 15% To increase total wood stock volume from

720 million m3 to 4.27 billion m3, a 6-time increase

To enlarge the area of economic forest from 1 million hectares to 3 million hectares

To build a farm-shelter forest network, increasing crop yield by 10%-15%

To control soil and water erosion To stop expanding of land desertification

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Change of Forest Coverage of China

8. 60%

12. 70%12%

12. 98%13. 92%

16. 55%

18. 21%

0%

2%

4%

6%

8%

10%

12%

14%

16%

18%

20%

1950s 1973-1976

1977-1981

1984-1988

1989-1993

1994-1998

1999-2003

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Three-North Shelterbelt Program: so far

A total wood stock volume raises from 720 million m3

to 990 million m3, an increase of 270 million m3, far less than planned

Planting economic forest 3.71 million hectares, higher than planned

Fruit production 12.55 Mt Farmer income increased

up to ￥ 17.5 billion Yuan

Yuan and Rupees 1:5Yuan and Rupees 1:5

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Three-North Shelterbelt Program: Results

Planting 0.91 million hm2 of fire wood forest

Producing 5.47 MT of fire wood every year

Meeting demand of 6 million farmer households for cooking fuels

Inter-cropping model of forests mixed with crops, vegetables, grass

Greatly improving productivity

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Three-North Shelterbelt Program: results

Desertification control effects △ 4.76 million hm2 of wind-break and

sand-fixing forest planted in stage 1, △ 20% of desertification land under

control △ Not a good indicator

Soil & water conservation effects   △ 5.52 million hm2 of soil and water

conservation forest planted in stage 1 △ 40% of the eroded area under control △ A good indicator

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Restoring forests and grassland from low yielding cropland

Project goals: converting low and unstable yielding, sloppy and sandy farmland into forests and grasslands by planting trees/ grass ； increasing vegetation coverage ； and improving ecological environment

Main players: individual household of farmers

A model of public private partnership

---- a much difficult task

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Project of converting cropland to forests and grassland

A pilot project initiated in 1999 in Sichuan, Shanxi and Gansu 3 provinces

Implementing with a large scale in 174 counties of 13 provinces in 2000

Expanding to 25 provinces in 2003

All sloppy land with degree above 25°needs to be converted

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Converting Cropland to Forests and Grassland

A differentiated subsidy policy: government provides grains and monetary subsidies to farmers

Yangtze River watershed region and southern China:

2,250 kg / hm2·a (rich farmers) Yellow River watershed region and northern China: 1,50

0kg / hm2·a (poor farmers) Monetary subsidy: ￥ 300 Yuan / hm2·a Subsidy period: 2-year for grassland conversion, 5- yea

r for economic forests, and 8-year for eco-forests

Government provides compensation for afforestation: ￥ 750 Yuan / hm2·a

Yuan and Rupees 1:5Yuan and Rupees 1:5

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Cropland to forests and grassland

Problems: Farmers prefer to economic forests (fruit trees)

Policy 1: Planting ecological forests no less than 80% while economic forest no more than 20%

Policy 2: No grains or cash subsidy for economic forests beyond 20%. only afforestation compensation fee applies

Challenges:

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What is after?

After due time, living allowance offered to project farmers, all in cash:

Yangtze River watershed region and southern China: ￥ 1,575 Yuan / hm2·a

Yellow River watershed region and northern China: ￥ 1,050 Yuan / hm2·a

Allowance period: 2-year for grassland, 5-year for economic forests,

8-year for eco-forests

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Results so far

In Tenth Five-Year Plan (2000-2005), a total area for conversion to grassland: 12.6 million hm2

9.27 million hm2 of cropland restored to forests Afforestation on barren land: 13.6 million hm2

Sealed hills for afforestation: 1.33 million hm2 Fixed CO2 equals to emission of 3 million cars in 11

years Forest coverage in the project area increased by 2

% Total government subsidies: ￥ 130 billion Yuan; a

verage ￥ 3,500 Yuan per household; 10- 45% of farmers total income

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Results so far

Donting, Poyang and Honghu Lakes, the three largest in the central China, increased by 1,400 km2, flood holding capacity increased by 10 billion m3

After project completion, water area of the three lakes is expected to increase by 2,900 km2

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