Chapter 14 - Conservation and Sustainable Use of Natural Resources 14.7 The programme areas in the present chapter are: F. Sustainable Development and Conservation of Marine Resources G. Rational Development, Utilization and Protection of Mineral Resources H. Sustainable Utilization and Conservation of Grassland Resources F. Sustainable Development and Conservation of Marine Resources Basis for action 14.62 Marine resources are referred to as the materials and energy which occur in the marine environment and can be utilized by human beings. Marine resources can be divided into marine living resources, sea bed mineral resources, sea water resources, marine energy and marine space resources. As provided in the United Nations Marine Convention, the inland seas, the territorial sea, the continental shelf and the exclusive economic zones over which China enjoys a sovereignty and a jurisdiction have a vast area. This area is equivalent to one third of the land area in China, and constitutes a continental coastline of about eighteen thousand kilometres, an island coastline of about fourteen thousand kilometres, and an area of coastal intertidal zone of 20,799 square kilometres. The sea bed resources are extremely rich, including about 45.1 billion metric tonnes of oil reserve, about 14,100 billion cubic metres of natural gas reserve, and 1.525 billion tonnes of proven beach sand reserve including over sixty species of ores. The marine living resources cover a wide range of species, amounting to more than twenty thousand, of which about 26 hundred are available for utilization by offshore and intertidal fisheries. The sea fishing grounds cover a broad area. The largest lasting catch and the optimum availability of fishery resources are about 4.7 million tonnes and three million tonnes, respectively. In addition, there are rich sea water resources and marine energy resources. The preliminary estimates project that China has a total marine energy resource reserve of 431 million kilowatts (kW). The marine biological and mineral resources are the common wealth of humankind and China takes on its rights and obligations to support and utilize these resources. 14.63 The primary industries based on the development and utilization of marine resources in China are marine fishery, marine communications and transportation, sea salt and salt chemical industry, offshore oil and gas industry, sea beach tourist industry, sea beach sand mining industry, seawater utilization, and others. In 1990, the gross output of marine industries was 43.8 billion yuan in RMB, accounting for 1.15% of the gross national product. With respect to the management and conservation of marine resources, both a mechanism and a corresponding legal system for the management and conservation of marine resources have been established. Measures for pollution control and tackling have been implemented in some of the more heavily polluted local sea areas. Since 1990, the State Council has successively approved thirteen national marine natural reserves. Generally, there has already been a positive basis for making further efforts for the development, use and conservation of marine resources. 14.64 Currently, the management of marine resources in China is based on the attributes of the marine natural resources and the industries for their exploitation, and is carried out in a planned way by different industrial sectors. This management pattern is an extension of the managerial functions of various land based resource development sectors to the sector of ocean and seas. In this case, each of the sectors considers the exploitation and planning of marine resources from its own particular interest, so that the advantages and potentials of marine resources can not be effectively utilized in an integrated manner. The ocean belongs to a dynamic macro-ecological system, making the marine resources mutually dependent and the exploitation activities interrelated and affected with each other. Therefore, it is imperative to change the traditional methods of managing marine resources and perfect the system for integrated management of marine resources. Most of the laws and regulations which have been enacted for the exploitation and conservation of marine resources in China are sectorial, single purpose regulations, lacking the comprehensive management regulations, the regional management regulations and the basic laws on ocean and seas which require all sectors to be bound by and to obey together. Some of the regulations are not coordinated and not systematic, and are basically an extension to the sea of the land based regulations not considering the inherently unique characteristics of ocean and seas. This has brought great difficulty to the management of marine resources on a legal basis. 14.65 The worsening of marine ecological environment has resulted in a dramatic downturn with respect to the abundance of marine biological resources. The main problems that the marine fishery resources in China face are an excess of total catch and a decline in traditional fishery resources. The main causes for the environmental deterioration of marine fishery resources are lack of planning and management, an out of control fishing industry, and increasing marine environmental pollution. However, because the problems of the marine fishery resources in China are related to some very complicated social and economic causes, it will be a long and tedious process to achieve the sustainable use of fishery resources and the sustainable development of fishery production. 14.66 The direct discharge of the pollutants from land based sources and sea based sources has caused some of the harbours and sea areas in China to be polluted to differing extent, and has particularly aggravated the organic pollution in sea areas. Nutrients such as nitrogen compounds, ammonia-N, nitrite-N and nitrate-N, and reactive phosphates have become the most important pollutants in the coastal waters of China. Where the eutrophication has been more obvious, the red tides have increased frequency of blooms, and the pollution in local offshore areas, irrational exploitation of estuary marshes and reclamation land from sea have formed a threat to the inhabitation and reproduction of marine life. In some areas, more serious pollution has led to large declines in fishery resources, declines in species of high quality, and has left uncultivated intertidal breeding grounds. The natural ecosystems in coastal waters and the living environment of habitants in coastal zones have also been directly threatened. 14.67 The coastal belt (including intertidal marshes) and island resources have a unique position and play a special role in the sustainable use and conservation of marine resources. China possesses more than 6 thousand islands, of which more than four hundred are inhabited. Apart from the islands of Hainan, Taiwan itself, Jinmen and Mazu, the remaining populated islands have a total land area of over four hundred square kilometres and a total population of over three million. Although geographically isolated from the mainland, there are many unique species of plant and animal present on these islands, there are still cultures of all forms, plenty of mineral and fishery resources, and a huge amount of tidal energy. These islands are separated by sea from the mainland and subsequently have limited space for activities, fewer facilities for communications, a low capability for self regulation and protection from disasters, a lack of freshwater resources, energy and manpower, and thus a need for a process to make conversions of the advantages of island resources into the advantages of economic development. The present low level of exploitation of island resources restrains the economic development of islands and the improvement of living standards for local inhabitants. Objectives 14.68 China will work for marine resource protection through the improvement and reform of the existing management system for marine resources and the establishment of a new marine administrative system which will conform to the conditions of market economy. The administrative system will primarily operate in a comprehensive way of management by integrating sectoral management with comprehensive management, and classifying the administrative power in a hierarchical way from national level to local levels. The administrative group is to establish a set of legal systems for the sustainable use of marine resources, including the operable procedures for management and implementation in order to gradually realize a legalized management of marine resources and to conform to the world standard for management of marine resources. 14.69 As for the reinforced management of marine life and sustainable use of marine fishery resources, the utilization and conservation of marine fishery resources will be accomplished through the stabilization of marine fishing production, and mainly relying on the development of marine aquaculture resources for promoting the development of marine fishery. This will help create a benign circulation system for development and conservation of fishery resources and allow the marine fishery to have a continuous and steady growth of output, develop a system of high quality, high efficiency and low consumption, and eventually lead to the sustainable use and conservation of marine fishery resources. 14.70 China is to set up a network for monitoring and protecting the marine macro-ecological system and establish a service system for environmental forecasting. As for marine ecological and environmental protection, it is to strictly control the pollutant discharge from both land based and sea based sources, to prevent, reduce and control the degradation and the adverse long-term effects on marine ecosystems and to maintain the balance of marine ecosystems and the sustainable use of marine resources. China is to establish a network of logically located natural reserves and join the international network of oceanic natural reserves. 14.71 To maintain and promote marine biodiversity while improving the living standard of island inhabitants. The development of coastal belt and islands should impart a sustainable capability to deal with various adverse marine circumstances and minimize the adverse effects on marine and coastal resources to achieve the sustainable development of the island economies. It is planned to survey and investigate the resources in oceans and the polar circle and implement exploitation, utilization and protection of ocean resources. Activities 14.72 Activities for perfecting an integrated mechanism for marine resource management are: (a) To set up a national marine legislative system and improve the marine regulations for comprehensive management, including formulating the basic national marine laws and regulations for comprehensive management and regional management; formulating the Regulations on Continental Shelves and Exclusive Economic Zones, Marine Rock Belt Law, Law for Cooperative Management of Maritime Space, Basic Law for Development of Marine Resources and the Regulations on Marine Natural Reserves in order to come into alignment with international marine legislation; improving the standards for the quality of marine environment, the standards for marine biodiversity conservation and the standards for marine and coastal pollutant discharges. To develop the local policies and regulations on marine environmental protection and biodiversity conservation allowing the local bodies for marine comprehensive management to have an unique role. Training centres will be established to train the relevant officials in the coastal zone and island areas in marine laws and regulations and marine management, in order to improve the competencies and levels of local enforcement in marine management; (b) To perfect the agency for coordination and management of maritime activities. It is necessary to reinforce maritime supervision and law enforcement ability, and raise the quality of the supervisory staff; (c) To set up a system for marine resources monitoring which would require the omnibearing monitoring of coastal lines, offshore environmental quality, biological resources, ecosystem, intertidal marshes and sea level changes, and to establish an information system and data bank for marine resources management. It is necessary to set up a system for SDIA of marine resources to provide a scientific basis during examination, ratification and management of maritime development projects. It is likewise imperative to set up a system for non-gratuitous utilization of marine space; (d) To exercise scientific and integrated control over logical development of marine resources in compliance with the division of marine functional regions and the national programme for marine development; (e) To envisage and supervise the implementation of guidelines and policies for sustainable utilization of marine resources, investigate and evaluate the current status of marine resources development and utilization throughout China, hammer out strategies to deal with various man- made or natural disasters and the influence of climate changes and sea level rise on the sustainable utilization of marine resources. 14.73 Activities for conservation of marine life are: (a) To elaborate an action plan for monitoring and preserving marine macro-ecosystem in the Yellow Sea, the East China Sea and the South China Sea while collaborating with the neighbouring countries to reinforce the integrated management of marine biological resources and protect marine biodiversity; (b) Actions for managing the marine fishery resources include devoting major efforts to developing sea farming resources by solidifying and raising the farming level of existing high quality species while developing new species and varieties for farming and farming technologies with high yield and lower consumption. To enhance the national macroscopic adjustment and control and economic incentive instruments to rationally develop marine fishing resources and to support the development of potential resources. To assess the environmental impact and the effects on sustainable development that will be brought about by the shift of fishery resource development from fishing to sea farming. To further perfect various kinds of fishery regulations, promoting the participation of fishermen in the activities of sustainable use and conservation of fishery resources, allowing the management and conservation of fishery resources on a legal and standardized basis, embarking enthusiastically on deep-sea fishing, conservation and development of biological resources in high seas; (c) To continue the process of establishing marine natural reserves for conservation of important marine natural resources, ecosystem, natural scenery, biological species and ecological zones which are of great significance to scientific research. It is necessary to protect coral reefs, mangrove resources and their ecosystem in South China Sea and the southern part of East China Sea; (d) To set up special marine reserves. 14.74 Actions for protection of marine environment include: (a) To enhance land based pollution control, including constraining the total discharges of land based pollutants, identifying the coastal discharge outfalls and the acceptable discharge levels, setting a total amount control of the pollutants from land based sources, and using waste water treatment facilities to protect the shellfish farming grounds and sea beach tourist spots from a pollution. Enhancing treatment of municipal sewage discharged into rivers, harbours, or seas by using at least one primary process or other processes suitable for specific locations. Eliminating or reducing the discharges of the organic halogen and other organic compounds which may be concentrated to a dangerous level in the marine environment, and of the nitrogen and phosphorus containing pollutants which may cause eutrophication or red tides in the coastal waters. Promoting the use of the pesticides and fertilizers which are more environmentally sound, reducing the amount of pesticides and fertilizers in run off, and giving consideration to a ban of those pesticides and fertilizers which have been proven to be hazardous to the environment. Developing and implementing environmentally sound technologies and methods for land use to reduce the run off through waterways and harbours polluting the marine environment; (b) Actions for control and management of sea based pollution activities, including requiring the sea transportation enterprises and the operators of sea based activities, such as oil drilling to have the emergency response abilities and facilities for dealing with the accidents of oil pollution and nuclear radioactive pollution. Taking actions to protect the coastal exclusive economic zones, marine ecological reserves, and other rare or vulnerable ecosystems. Evaluating the environmental impact or sustainable development impact of offshore oil and gas extractions, and taking measures for their control. Building facilities at harbour areas to collect used oils, chemical wastes and other refuse from ships, and gradually banning dumping wastes and incinerating hazardous materials at sea; (c) Actions for perfecting the system for monitoring and supervising the marine environmental pollution and improving the three-dimensional monitoring and supervising capability along the sea coast, on the sea surface and in air. 14.75 Actions for development and protection of coastal belts and island resources include: (a) Evaluating various island resources in terms of the kinds, distribution, concentration and development and giving a top priority to developing the island resources with a higher comprehensive economic value. Conducting a survey on the natural environment of coastal belts, islands and their marine species of life, formulating the measures to maintain the island specific culture and biodiversity and to conserve the endangered species and the marine ecosystems. Carrying out the sustainable development plans, making assessments of the impacts of some major activities on the sustainable development of coastal belt and islands, and reviewing and revising the existing polices and measures for non-sustainable development. Disseminating some ecologically sound and biodiversity friendly technologies for island development. Undertaking zoned sea area management and zoned marine environmental monitoring and protection for islands. Taking measures to ensure environmental quality, devising the standards for pollutant discharge and the measures for pollution control in neighbouring sea areas to control marine pollution; improving the preparedness of coastal zones and islands against disasters and raising the cultural quality, living standards and ability of inhabitants in the field of sustainable development; (b) Accelerating the development of the port site resources on islands, making communications and transportation facilities available as soon as possible, and allowing the island ports to be the satellite ports of land-based ports; speeding up the development of island tourist resources to construct a number of island tourist spots; facilitating the development of the energy resources such as marine energy, solar energy and wind energy, and the development and intensive processing of mineral resources; controlling the growth of population on islands to reduce the burden of population on the islands' resources and environment while strengthening the education and the personal exchange between islands and mainland to improve the cultural quality of islands habitants and their ability for sustainable development; greening the wild islands by planting trees to create scenic and shelter forests to improve the resistance to violent typhoons. 14.76 Actions for the development of oceanographical science and technology and the construction of demonstration projects include: (a) Strengthening the construction of scientific research system on the marine environment including: carrying out the studies of the basic disciplines such as marine biology, marine geology, geophysics and marine living resources economics. China is promoting research and development on the technology for land based and sea based pollution control, the technology and equipment for emergency response to marine pollution accidents and the technology for marine ecological and natural conservation. Improving the standards for waste water discharge, the measures for the overall control of land based pollutants, and the measures for prediction, forecast and control of the environmental impact of dumping at sea and the burst of red tides; (b) China is promoting research work on development, the technology for development of marine resources and using the land and sea spaces of islands and the technology for deep processing of the materials such as aquatic products and mineral products. China will put greater efforts into studying the environmental carrying capacity and purifying capability in island areas to determine the scale and distribution of a rational development of island industries, and the human carrying capacity. China is studying the technology for the sustainable development impact assessment for environmental protection, comprehensive utilization and construction projects in islands. China will promote the enhancement and the development of the technologies for coast and island protection works, protection from marine natural disasters, freshwater storage and seawater desalination, and direct utilization and development of high-tech sectors such as marine biotechnology, sea food, aquatic medicine, marine farming and pasturing. China is to set up a number of demonstration projects such as those on aquaculture, scenic spots construction, intertidal zone multi-purpose operations, use of new energy, and comprehensive utilization of resources and their products; (c) China is to strengthen marine scientific and technical research to meet the demand for marine resources development and marine environmental protection; (d) China is to launch experiments targeted at the integrated utilization and sustainable development of marine resources including setting up ecological demonstration regions in the Bohai Sea and integrated development areas in other major bays. It is also planned to embark on experiments which will coordinate conservation with development of marine natural reserves on the Nanji Islands in order to build a "Man and Biocircle" protection zone. 14.77 Actions for international cooperation include: (a) China will conduct scientific research work on the survey of marine resources in collaboration with international organizations and related countries, and seek technical assistance from abroad for training and exchange of technical personnel with other countries; (b) China will cooperate with its neighbouring countries and international organizations to implement the action plans for monitoring and protecting the marine macro-ecological system in the Yellow Sea, the East China Sea and the South China Sea and to jointly protect and control the marine life resources; (c) China will continue to cooperatively study isolated ecological systems, sediment pollution and ecological effect monitoring, sea area pollution control and management technologies, and the models for the forecast of oil spill drift movement, and the control technology and prediction methods for red tides; (d) China will continue using funds from international assistance agencies to build a number of demonstration projects for environmentally sound discharge of sewage into the marine environment; (e) Exchanging the data and information on maritime development, including the information on the exploitation, conservation and management of marine resources; (f) Introducing the advanced technologies to exploit the coastal belt and island resources, or introducing financial and human resources to develop the coastal belt and island economy on a cooperative basis, for example, the exploitation of oil field by international cooperation; (g) China will strengthen cooperation with peripheral countries to establish the regional network for monitoring the marine environment, coordinate policies for protecting marine environment and resources, and work out regional fishery agreements to jointly protect the ecosystem and fishery resources within the seas of China; (h) Launching international cooperative research and conservation of coral reefs and mangrove forests in the South China Sea; (i) China will collaborate with international organizations and related countries to establish marine life conservation zones in key subtropical sea areas and set up East-Asian demonstration regions for remediation and control of marine pollution. G. Rational Development, Utilization and Protection of Mineral Resources Basis for action 14.78 Mineral resources are non-renewable resources which should be extraordinary cherished and rationally allocated and efficiently developed and utilized. Although China is rich in mineral resources in terms of their total amount, the per capita figures are less than half of the world's average. Currently 95% of energy and 80% of industrial raw materials needed for economic construction depend upon the mineral resources supply. The proven reserves of minerals are evidently insufficient and will become acutely in short supply during the 21st century to ensure the sustainable development of national economy. Meanwhile, a lot of problems in the exploitation of mineral resources coupled with low level of integrated development and utilization of resources have aggravated the gap between demand and supply of mineral resources. Efforts should be directed towards both increasing production and reducing consumption. Apart from reinforcing the geological exploration of minerals and boosting their proven reserves, it is necessary to stick to the basic policy of "protection, conservation and rational utilization of resources" and heighten the public awareness concerning the significance of rational exploitation and utilization of mineral resources as required by the coordinated development of the economy and society. 14.79 The irrational exploitation of mineral resources not only leads to waste of minerals but to ecological and environmental degradation. According to statistics occupation of vast space and surface subsidence resulted from chaotic dumping of tailings and wastes of large-scale mining have amounted to two million hectares and are still growing an average of 25 thousand hectares of land annually, which has been bringing about atmospheric and water pollution and soil contamination, aggravating soil erosion and triggering subsidence, landslide, mud-rock flow and other geological disasters. Hence, to effectively curb the irrational development mode and to reduce the environmental cost incurred due to exploitation of mineral resources do represent an urgent task to be tackled during development and utilization of mineral resources in China. Objectives 14.80 The overall objectives for protection and sustainable utilization of mineral resources are: making appropriate use of overseas resources apart from rational development and utilization of domestic mineral resources to raise the level of optimized allocation, logical development and utilization of resources to meet to the fullest extent the demand of national economy for mineral resources; minimizing the environmental cost paid out for exploitation of mineral resources; and improving all-round cost effectiveness, environmental effects and social benefits. The major goals are as follows: (a) Reinforcing geological exploration to provide to the utmost degree for the national economy with necessary proven reserves and geological information on major minerals in compliance with the needs of economic construction and geological capability; (b) Setting up a property management system for mineral resources to deal properly with the economic relationship between the owner and the operator of mineral resources as well as between the central and local governments; strengthening the development, supervision and control over mineral resources to restrain effectively the chaotic exploitation and extraction of minerals; and working hard to ensure all-round improvement of order in mining industry and to implement rational development and use of mineral sources; (c) Raising the level of comprehensive development and utilization of industrial wastes from mining; striving to realize reclamation of mine tailings, waste rocks, sewage and waste gases and detoxification of the environment;and introducing a system for environmental restoration and renovation after closure of mines; (d) Establishing a system for management of geological exploration and mineral resources, suited to the requirements of market economy, to help bolster the benign circle of geological exploratory work and give full play to the cardinal role of market-oriented mechanism in respect to optimized allocation of mineral resources; (e) Establishing and improving the law and legislative system to bring the exploration of mineral resources, conservation of geological environment, geological exploration and administrative work onto the track of legislation. Activities 14.81 The activities with respect to management of mineral resources include: (a) Perfecting the framework of laws on mineral resources which stipulates and standardizes the exploration and exploitation of mineral resources; (b) Setting up a law enforcement and supervision system which combines a centralized and unified guidance with a hierarchical mode of management from national to local levels; (c) Conducting regular and non-scheduled analyses of the situation pertaining supply and demand of mineral resources, as well as study of perspective regional distribution of mineral formations, forecast of overall mineral resources and launching research work on distribution of mineral resources according to economic regions; (d) Hammering out strategies for development of mineral resources, policies for resource management and resource planning; (e) Establishing and perfecting the mineral resources accounting system, the system for non- gratuitous possession and exploitation of minerals and the system for propertied management. 14.82 The activities pertaining to comprehensive survey, exploration, evaluation and management of mineral resources include: (a) Elaborating programmes for comprehensive survey, exploration and evaluation of various mineral resources; (b) Setting up data banks for comprehensive survey, exploration and evaluation of mineral resources at national and provincial (regional) levels; (c) Strictly implementing the system for examining the qualification of bodies engaged in reconnaissance and exploration of mineral resources and the system for registration of exploratory work; (d) Formulating a system for non-gratuitous use of geological and exploratory achievements in conformity with the requirements of market economy and implementing an economic operation system aimed at the benign circulation of input and output in geological and exploratory work. 14.83 Activities aimed at environmental protection and management of mines include the following: (a) Formulating regulations and rules for environmental protection of mines, protecting the environment in mines by law, and performing the principle of "who develops, protects; who closes the pit, reclaims it; who destroys, tackles"; (b) Formulating mine specific EIA and management procedures, and conducting inspection of environmental quality in mines to implement the overall course for environmental management on mine development; (c) Investigating and assessing the status of destroyed natural environments in mines throughout China in order to formulate the plans for their protection and reclamation; (d) Introducing economic incentive instruments to encourage efforts targeted at integrated utilization of mineral resources and reclamation of industrial wastes in mining enterprises and help bolster techniques for minimization of waste discharges and cleaner production during exploitation of mineral resources; (e) Introducing and imposing the fee of ecological and environmental compensation for mineral resource development, fund of guarantee for reclamation to reduce the environmental cost incurred by development of mineral resource. 14.84 International cooperation will include the following areas: (a) Establishing a mineral resources management system which combines the market-oriented mechanism with macro-economic adjustment via policy-making; (b) Mapping out policies for import and export of mineral resources in conformance with domestic availability of resources and dynamic changes of international market; (c) Introducing and disseminating techniques for comprehensive exploration and development of coal and minerals of non-ferrous and rare metals; (d) Setting up the mineral resources accounting system and the system for management of assets, and creating a network for supervision of geological environment; (e) Fostering efforts targeted at reclamation of mining wastes and detoxification of the environment during exploitation of minerals; (f) Launching cooperative study of mineral resources legislation and training personnel engaged in mineral resources management and environmental control. H. Sustainable Utilization and Conservation of Grassland Resources Basis for action 14.85 The total area of utilizable grassland in China amounts to 310 million hectares, including 105.3 thousand hectares of artificial sown grass. The grassland resources represent the largest ecological system on the Chinese mainland,which plays an important role and is of great significance for development of livestock husbandry, conservation of biodiversity, water and soil conservation and maintaining ecological balance. The grassland in China is located in five regions, i. e. the Northeast grassland, the Mongolia- Ningxia-Gansu grassland, the Xinjiang grassland, the Qinghai-Tibet grassland and the grassy mountains in South China. 14.86 The distribution, use and development of grassland resources in China have the following peculiarities: (a) The grassland, characterized by its vast area, extensive distribution and diversified types, represent a crops-saving herding resource and is suited in some localities for comprehensive development and diversified economic activities; (b) Most pasturable grassland and grassy mountainous regions are inhabited by ethnic minorities, a significant part of which dwells in the old liberated and poverty-ridden areas; (c) The grassland and meadow regions are mostly located in the fountain heads and upper or middle reaches of the Yellow River, the Yangtze River, the Huaihe River and other water systems and are playing the role of the ecological shelter; (d) Currently the average utilization rate of grassland resources accounts for less than 50% with approximate 27 million hectares of water-deficient grassland and summer pasture in grazing regions remaining unutilized logically. 14.87 Owing to the continued uncontrolled extensive exploitation of grassland resources in the context of stressing the utilization and development without attaching importance to the construction and management, grassland resources of China are confronted with a serious crisis, which may be stated as follows: (a) Over-grazing and excessive stocking density, indiscriminate reclamation and chaotic cultivation have led to serious destruction of grassland. The grassland construction lacks unified planned management and infusion of insignificant investment has delayed the pace of construction. The area of degraded, desertified and alkalinized grassland increases with every year and its output capability is declining continuously. The degenerated grassland in China constitutes 866.7 thousand square kilometres, making up one third of the overall area of utilizable grassland. The trend of degeneration is gaining momentum; (b) The nutrient content in grassland soil is decreasing dramatically. There is serious destruction of animal and flora resources on grassland, while the output capacity of grass declines remarkably. If China does not take effective measures, the grass output on meadow will drop by 30% by the year 2000 thus aggravating ecological and environmental deterioration on grassland; (c) Currently the livestock husbandry on the grassland is basically at the utilization stage suited for primitive natural herding which cannot bring the comprehensive advantages and productive potentials of grassland into full play. The production capacity in pasturing regions of China comprises merely 5-10% to that of the developed countries such as the US and Australia. Objectives 14.88 The main objectives of this programme area are: (a) Increasing artificial sown grass and improved meadow by 23.33 million hectares and hurdled meadow by 14.67 million hectares by the turn of century. By that time the accumulated artificial sown grass and improved grassland will comprise 33.33 million hectares and the area of hurdled meadow will constitute twenty million hectares so that the artificial sown grass and improved meadow will make up around 10% of the utilizable grassland. It is projected to set up twenty natural reserves of grass to basically put the trend of grassland degeneration and eco- environmental deterioration under control; (b) Primarily harnessing approximately 26 million hectares of grassland by the year 2000 to be on a par with or surpass the rate of grass degeneration resulted from degradation, desertification and alkalinization of grassland. By the year 2020 up to 66.67 million hectares of degraded, desertified and alkalinized grassland will be effectively protected and tamed to realize the transition of grass ecosystem from the vicious circle to a benign one. Activities 14.89 Activities for conservation and management of grassland resources include: (a) Reinforcing the law formulation and organizational construction in conformity with the Grassland Law and imposing punishment in line with the Grassland Law and relevant regulations, in terms of criticizing, warning, fines or compensation according to economic loss for those engaged in plundering use of grassland, including unauthorized cultivation, barbarous digging, indiscriminate raking of grass and over-herding, as well as indictment of criminals for their criminal responsibilities. It is imperative to introduce non-gratuitous use of meadow and using economic incentive instruments for constraining over-utilization of grassland resources; (b) Strengthening grassland construction to harness degenerated grassland. Enthusiastically embarking on the construction of artificial and semi-artificial sown meadow with combined efforts of the state, the collective and individuals, disseminating fenced meadow, and actively improving degraded meadow. Using low-lying land for accumulation of rainfall and surface runoff to irrigate the neighbouring meadow. Conducting loose turn-up of soil and supplementary sowing to raise the grass output, wherever conditions allow. Actively developing artificial sown grass and realizing ley farming in appropriate regions. Adopting scientific measures to combat in a comprehensive way disasters due to grass disease, pests,and rats, and paying attention to prevent contamination of grassland due to insecticides and waste discharges from industrial enterprises and protecting natural enemies to rats, including the yellow weasels, hawks and foxes. 14.90 Activities for scientific research of grassland resources include: (a) Strengthening the scientific management of livestock farming on grassland. It is necessary to control appropriately the livestock population, adjust livestock structure and breed livestock in dependence on availability of grass to avoid excessive stocking density and overgrazing. It is necessary to set up seasonal camps which may last two or three seasons, actively spread hurdled rotational grazing, and implement a cooperative contracting system for non-gratuitous use of meadow; (b) Enthusiastically developing new energy sources including the solar and wind energy and biogas for herding regions and providing daily life fuel to the pasturage inhabitants to alleviate destruction of natural vegetation; (c) Implementing the principle of "prospering the grassland by means of science and technology" to develop the science of grass breeding and reinforce the research work on the systematic process of grass industry and grass ecology. Introduce, domesticate, screen and breed fine forage grass, reinforce techniques for protecting grass from harm due to diseases, pests and rats, and restore the degraded grassland to support the benign circle of grass ecosystem. Meanwhile, establish a permanent network for supervising the grassland ecology to provide a scientific basis for grassland construction and management. 14.91 Construction of projects for sustainable utilization of grassland resources will include: (a) Construction of natural grass reserves, including the low and medium-altitude shrub meadow on the Huangshan Mountain in Anhui, the grassy marshlands on the Annimaqing Mountain in Qinghai, the Ruoergai frigid marshy grassland in Sichuan, the Grand Nine Lakes grassy marshlands on the Shennongjia Ridge of Hubei, the seashore saline grassy marshlands along the Yellow River delta in Shandong, the Hulunbeier grassy marshlands and typical meadow of Lingelei in Inner Mongolia, and the hillside forest grassland on the Tianshan Mountain in Xinjiang; (b) Construction projects for upgrading the degraded grassland including those in the Northern and partly Southern Xinjiang, in regions surrounding the Qinghai Lake, the Gannan district and the Western Yellow River Corridor in Gansu, the hilly regions along the Taihang and Lulian Mountain Ranges in Shanxi, the southern wing of the Big Xingan Mountain Ridge and the Southern Inner Mongolian Plateau; (c) Construction of demonstration projects for comprehensive development of grassland resources such as the self-contained and subsistent pasturing projects in the grassy regions of North China, Northwest China and Southwest China, and projects for development of livestock meat, fur and fine hair in North China. Text Browser Utilities: [White Paper Home Page, Back, Next] For more information: web@acca21.org.cn Address: 109 Wanquanhe Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100089, People's Republic of China Telephone:(86-10)82636193, 82634400-2401 Fax: (86-10)82636192