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The Construction and Demonstration Of Soil Erosion Control System In China
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1. Project Summary and Relationship to China's Agenda
21
This project consists of three components: planning and
strategic study of soil erosion control in China, the
establishment of demonstration areas of soil and water
conservation, the establishment of a remote sensing
information system for monitoring and management of national
soil erosion. To establish an erosion control system
integrating planning, demonstration projects and monitoring
and management through the study of current state of soil
erosion in China, measures and their effect taken for water
and soil conservation and the trend of soil erosion
development, the establishment of various types of
demonstration projects for tackling water erosion
comprehensively and the establishment of a soil erosion
monitoring and management system.
This project is based on programme areas 16A, 16B, 16C and
16D of China's Agenda 21,
and is related to programme areas 8A, 11E, 14C and 14D.
2. Background
According to the remote sensing survey in 1990, China has
a soil erosion area of 3,670,000 km2, which accounts for 38.2
percent of the of national territory, a water erosion area of
1,790,000 km2 and a wind erosion area of 1,880,000 km2. Soil
loss is more than 5 billion tons per year. The annual loss of
arable land by soil erosion is about 70,000 hectares. The
desertification land area is more than 330,000 hectares. The
decline of land productivity, the low and unstable crop
yield, and eco-environmental deterioration resulting from
soil erosion are the major causes of poverty and the major
obstacles to sustainable development of the economy and
society in these regions. Therefore, the United Nations
regards the prevention and control of land desertification as
a key requirement for future environmental protection and
elimination of poverty. ìThe United Nations Convention
to Combat Desertification" with soil and water
conservation as the dominant theme was formulated. The
Chinese government has been making unremitting effort toward
soil and water conservation. ìThe Law of Soil and
Water Conservation" and ìRules for the
Implementation of the Law of Soil and Water
Conservation" were issued. A supervision and enforcement
system for soil and water conservation has been established.
Since the 1980's, the Chinese government has launched the
construction of soil and water conservation projects in China's seven basins, of Yellow
River, Yangtse River, Haihe River, Huaihe River, Pearl River,
Songliao River and Taihu Lake, established 25 key national
soil and water conservation areas, and carried out
comprehensive erosion control and economic development
projects with the small basin as a basic unit. Much has been
achieved as a result of these activities.
A still greater effort is required for the soil and water
conservation as a result of the rapid development of Chinese
economy and implementation of the strategy for sustainable
development. Therefore, it is very important that
macro-planning and decision-making on water and soil
conservation is conducted in a more scientific and rational
mode to ensure harmonisation of nature and sustainable
development of the economic system in China. It is necessary
to examine the basis of the current situation and development
trend of soil erosion, to study the strategy and plan of soil
and water conservation, to monitor the process and temporal
and spatial distribution of soil erosion attributable to
human activity, to understand the dynamics and trends of soil
erosion, and to study demonstrate and disseminate control
technology for different types of soil erosion.
In 1994, the Chinese government announced that soil and
water conservation will be a long-term and basic national
policy, and demanded that local governments incorporate soil
and water conservation into their respective economic and
social development plans. ìThe Ninth Five-Year Plan
and Long-term Targets for the Year 2010" and " the
Outline of National Soil and Water Conservation Plan"
require that efforts be made to conduct soil and water
conservation in accordance with law, that the planning and
strategic study of soil and water conservation accelerated,
the prevention and supervision of soil erosion strengthened,
the technical content of soil and water conservation work
increased, and comprehensive control of soil erosion
accelerated. Therefore, implementation of this project is an
important step in realising the national goal of
comprehensive control of soil erosion and an important basis
for the fulfilment of the tasks of ìthe Ninth
Five-Year Plan and Long-term Targets for the Year 2010"
and the promotion of sustainable development of national
society and economy.
Soil and water conservation, control of soil erosion and
protection of soil and water resource are the basis for Chinaís
sustainable economic and social development and have been
incorporated into the national development plan at different
government levels. There are more than 100 research
institutes and stations for soil and water conservation and
many hydrologic stations in China. In 1990 The Ministry of
Water Resources conducted a survey of soil erosion in China
and drew maps of the present status of soil erosion on a
scale of 1:500,000 for different provinces and on a scale of
1:2,000,000 for the whole country. An information system of
soil and water conservation was developed and an alarming
system for landslide and mud-rock flow in the middle and
upper branches of the Yangtse river installed, The Ministry
completed ìThe Outline of National Soil and Water
Conservation( 1991 - 2000 ) " and " The National
Plan of Monitor Network and Information System of Soil and
Water Conservation". A model for comprehensive control
of soil erosion was developed on the basis of a set of
research experiment and pilot work at the selected sites of
the small basins. This model considers the small basin as the
basic unit, regards the building of basic field and the
improvement of production condition the a breaking point,
thus steadily solving the problem of providing the people
with enough food and clothing. On this basis, twenty-five key
state control regions of soil and water conservation have
been established.
3. Objective
3.1 Long-term Objective
To improve the level of macro decision-making of soil and
water conservation and to accelerate the step for soil and
water conservation through the construction of soil erosion
control systems and comprehensive control demonstration areas
for the purpose of arresting the continuous deterioration of
soil erosion, to protect soil and water resources and to
promote the sustainable development of China's economy and environment.
3.2 Immediate Objectives
- To formulate the development plan and control strategy of
soil and water conservation, to improve decision-making
at the macro-level and to give guidance to the work of
soil and water conservation on the basis of analysis and
research of dynamic changes and developing trend of soil
erosion;
- To speed up the steps of soil erosion control through
demonstration, introduction and dissemination of the
comprehensive control technology;
- To monitor and provide the information on the development
of soil erosion as the foundation for applying the
correct control strategy of soil erosion, and formulating
sustainable development plans for the national economy
and society by establishing the remote sensing monitoring
network and management information systems of soil
erosion.
4. Outputs and Activities
4.1 Advancement of the predication of China's soil erosion trend and
proposal of the strategic measures for soil erosion control,
and formulation of the long-term and medium-term development
plan for soil erosion control
- To present the current situation and development trends
of soil erosion by means of interpreting and analysing
remote sensing image data of different periods such as
the 1960's, 1970's and 1980's in conjunction with surface
investigation of typical regions, small basin area
experiments and analysis of the data of small basin area
erosion control;
- To develop the development strategies for China's soil erosion control, to
work out the long-term (2000 - 2050) objectives of soil
erosion control and to propose measures of policy,
management, technology and investment to guarantee the
realisation of these objectives.
Monitoring Indicators: development strategy of soil and
water conservation and the long-term and the medium-term
plans of soil erosion control.
Implementing Agencies: Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS),
Institute of Soil and Water Conservation of the Ministry of
Water Resources.
Time Schedule : January 1997 - December 2000
4.2 Establishment of demonstration engineering of
comprehensive control of soil erosion in order to explore,
set an example and disseminate control technology for
different types of soil erosion and development models
- To establish a comprehensive control demonstration site
in Shenchi county, Shanxi province in a loess
hilly-eroded area of 10,269 ha., including construction
of 2,170 ha. of basic farmland, planting soil and water
conservation trees of 7,163 ha., planting economic fruit
trees of 286 ha. and planting grass of 650 ha.,
comprising a comprehensive control area up to 396 km2;
- To establish a comprehensive control demonstration site
in Baiquan county, Heilongjiang province of hilly area of
black soil to improve 20,000 ha. of sloping field
including construction of different kinds of terraces,
building different kinds of plant practice and
constructing corresponding drainage systems;
- To establish a comprehensive control demonstrating site
in Tongjiang county, Sichuan province, which is a part of
the medium-low rocky mountain region. To complete
comprehensive soil erosion control in an area of 10,000
ha., and to build a demonstration base including 770 ha.
of terrace through slope reforming, planting 3,000 ha. of
trees, planting 1,070 ha. of economic trees, extending
soil and water conservation tillage to 900 ha., and
closing 4,260 ha. of hillside for soil erosion control.
Monitoring Indicators: the degree of comprehensive soil
erosion control in each demonstration area will reach over
80%. Local farmers will have enough food and clothing, and
some farmers will reach the level of comfortable life style.
Implementing Agencies: CAS, Institute of Soil and Water
Conservation of the Ministry of Water Resources.
Time Schedule: January 1997 - December 2000
4.3 Establishment of national soil erosion monitoring and
predicting network and information system
- To set up a monitoring Centre of soil and water
conservation in order to control, analyse and manage
remote sensing monitoring of soil erosion;
- To establish a management system for remote sensing
monitoring and dynamic data, which includes the data
reception system, the data communication system, the data
management system, the data analysis and application
model, the dynamic prediction model of soil and water
conservation and the expert decision-making system for
soil and water conservation. These will form a
technological supporting system for Chinaís macro
decision-making for soil and water conservation;
- To establish a monitoring and predicating demonstration
area (county) of soil erosion each in seven basins of the
Yellow River, the Yangtse River, Songliao River, Haihe
River, Huaihe River, Taihu Lake and Pearl River, to carry
out monitoring and forecast of soil erosion, to study and
determine the monitoring index system, to test the design
and operation of various decision-making models, and to
explore management methods for soil erosion monitoring
and forecasting;
- To introduce technology and equipment for reception and
extraction of the remote sensing information on soil
erosion, to jointly study the standards and
specifications of the soil loss remote sensing monitor,
to co-operate in training technical and managerial staff
on monitoring and forecasting soil erosion, and to
improve the quality of research observations from the
monitoring and forecast system.
Monitoring Indicators: a soil erosion monitoring and
forecast network and an information system
Implementing Agencies: CAS, Soil and Water Conservation
Institute of the Ministry of Water Resources.
Time Schedule: January 1997 - December 2000
5. Inputs
5.1 Chinese Inputs
Chinese inputs will be mainly used for construction of
infrastructure, training, expert consultation, project
management and co-ordination.
5.2 International Inputs
International inputs will be mainly used for expenses of
foreign experts who come to China for consultation, the
introduction of technology and equipment, and personnel
training.
5.3 Budget
The total capital needed for this project is US$ 49.00
million. The Chinese side will raise US$ 35.00 million from
domestic source, while foreign aid will cover the other US$
14.00 million.
Table 1. Budget by Item (in million US
dollars)
| Item |
Total |
Chinese Inputs |
International Inputs |
| Subtotal |
Grant |
Loan |
Local
Contribution |
Subtotal |
Grant |
Loan |
Direct
Investment |
| Experts |
1.00 |
0.50 |
0.50 |
|
|
0.50 |
0.50 |
|
|
| Training |
1.00 |
0.50 |
0.50 |
|
|
0.50 |
0.50 |
|
|
| Facilities |
6.00 |
2.70 |
2.70 |
|
|
3.30 |
1.30 |
2.00 |
|
| Imports |
3.00 |
0.50 |
0.50 |
|
|
2.50 |
0.50 |
2.00 |
|
| Material |
0.50 |
0.30 |
0.30 |
|
|
0.20 |
0.20 |
|
|
Stations
and Centre |
28.00 |
25.00 |
25.00 |
|
|
3.00 |
1.00 |
2.00 |
|
| Study |
5.00 |
3.00 |
3.00 |
|
|
2.00 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
|
| Exchange |
1.00 |
0.50 |
0.50 |
|
|
0.50 |
0.50 |
|
|
| Management |
1.50 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
|
|
0.50 |
0.50 |
|
|
| Contingency |
2.00 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
|
|
1.00 |
0.50 |
0.50 |
|
| Total |
49.00 |
35.00 |
35.00 |
|
|
14.00 |
6.50 |
7.50 |
|
Table 2. Budget by Output (in million
US dollars)
| Output |
Total |
Chinese Inputs |
International Inputs |
| Subtotal |
Grant |
Loan |
Local
Contribution |
Subtotal |
Grant |
Loan |
Direct
Investment |
| 4.1 |
2.00 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
|
|
1.00 |
1.00 |
|
|
| 4.2 |
17.00 |
10.00 |
10.00 |
|
|
7.00 |
3.00 |
4.00 |
|
| 4.3 |
30.00 |
24.00 |
24.00 |
|
|
6.00 |
2.50 |
3.50 |
|
| Total |
49.00 |
35.00 |
35.00 |
|
|
14.00 |
6.50 |
7.50 |
|
6. Benefits
The basic beneficiaries of the project are the local
farmers in the project demonstration areas and the local
governments at all levels. When the expected results of the
project are achieved, the macro decision-making level and the
investment returns of soil and water conservation will be
effectively improved, and the pace of soil erosion control
will be accelerated. The establishment of demonstration areas
will disseminate the results to enhance soil and water
conservation practices in the entire regions. The
establishment of a monitoring and forecasting system will
provide dynamic trends of soil erosion timely; thus providing
the basis for decision-making on soil and water conservation
of the National Government and harnessing main rivers in
China. It is estimated that the implementation of the project
will add RMB 1.7 billion yuan of output value per year and
reduce economic loss resulting from soil erosion by RMB 1.3
billion yuan .
7. Risks
The major unfavourable factor in the implementation of
this project is insufficient investment. However, after
several years of exploration, the reform of investment
mechanism and encouragement of obligations, rights and
benefits, various social circles have shown initiative by
increasing investment in soil and water conservation.
Remarkable achievements have been obtained. Therefore, the
project will be carried out smoothly, so long as the
intensity of the investment reform is increased, the benefits
of soil and water conservation is raised, and the
achievements of the farmers and investors in soil and water
conservation are reinforced and protected.
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