Three-river-sources ecological environment protection - Essay Example

Three-River-Source’s Ecological Environment Protection The changes in the Three-River-Source the 1970s to the present day haveaffected ecological environment and various wildlife species in several ways. The region’s ecological environment has rapidly deteriorated and it is evident that its rivers’ water level has been continually dropping; wetlands have been shrinking; some parts of the grasslands have been experiencing degradation and serious desertification; and rare wildlife resources have seriously been threatened (Cheng, 2002). As such, this paper sought to establish the impacts of the activities of men on the ecology. It sought to evaluate the region’s management strategies on how the conflict between protection of the region’s ecological environment and exploitation of the natural resources for commercial purposes can be best resolved. The major findings of the paper showed that the activities of men such as hunting and construction of infrastructure have immensely contributed to the degradation of the ecology. As such, this paper observed that in order to create a long-term plan for management of ecological environment in the Three-River-Source, nationwide and local government will need to be foresighted and consider the specifics of each environmental problem in order to balance the conflict between protection of the region’s ecological environment and the use of natural resources for commercial purposes. Introduction Three-River-Source which is also known as Sanjiangyuan is located in the Qinghai Tibet Plateau. This name refers to the headwater of three rivers in Chinese and these are Yangtze River, the Yellow River and the Lancang River. These rivers are the major sources of water in the region whereby Yellow River accounts for 42 per cent of the total volume of water supplied while Yangtze River accounts for 25 % and Lancang River accounts for 15% (Wang, 2008). The Three-River-Source region has significant ecological value in the Qinghai Tibet plateau which is regarded as the worlds highest and largest plateau with wetland ecosystem. The region accounts for 2.32% of the total area of national wetlands (Wang, 2008). As such, the region is known as the “water tower” in China. The region’s unique ecological system is comprised of the following features: Wetlands, Alpine meadow, grassland, shrub forest, farmland, dunes, fish ponds, different types of birds and other rare wild animals as well as various types of plants. Before the 1970s, the Three-River-Source region had abundant water resources for the community and this significantly contributed to a balance in the ecosystem (Li, 2009). However, of late, both natural and human factors have negatively impacted on the region’s ecological environment. As the human population continued to grow, commercial activities also increased and these have resulted in excessive exploitation of the natural resources which has led to degradation of the ecosystem. The habitat for wildlife has been destroyed and other natural resources as well have been negatively affected by both human and natural causes. Following this negative development, the Sanjiangyuan National Nature Reserve was established in 2000 by State Forestry Administration and Qinghai government which was followed by the Management Bureau which was founded in September 2001. During the current period, Sanjiangyuan National Nature Reserve is the largest nature reserve in China and it is not only a national-level nature reserve, but has also been designated as “Wetlands of International Importance.” The establishment of the nature reserve is aimed at protecting and conserving Qinghai-Tibet Plateau ecosystem. However, though something is being done to protect the ecology, it can be noted that there is still need for more efforts by different stakeholders to safeguard the interests of the environment. As such, this study seeks to establish the extent to which natural and human factors have impacted on the ecological environment in this region and the measures that can be put in place to protect the ecosystem. The study will review different literature to support the alternative solutions that will be given at the end. Problem definition The attempt to protect the ecological environment is a pressing problem which is posing a serious challenge the world over. As a result of different societal changes such as urbanization and industrialization, many changes have been witnessed in the environment given that vast tracts of land have been cleared for the purposes of development of infrastructure. On the other hand, it can be noted that laws and policies that have been designed to protect the natural resources have remained generally ineffective and problems related to environmental degradation have multiplied as a result of growth in the population. It can be noted that the deterioration of Three-River-Source’s ecological environment has not been reduced since the disorderly management of this region continues unabated. However, in the midst of Three-River-Source’s ecological deterioration, people are coming to realise the importance of conserving nature. As a result of the continuous actions of the people impacting on the ecosystem, there is likely to be a heavy price to be paid to balance the trade-offs between the need to conserve the environment and the need to satisfy the human needs from the natural environment. It remains to be seen how Three-River-Source region can withstand the man-made impacts on it. As such, this project will focus on the evaluation of this region’s management strategies and will address the following question: How can the conflict between protection of the region’s ecological environment and exploitation of the natural resources for commercial purposes be best resolved? Sources of Research The researcher will first review the literature related to the Three-River-source in order to assess and evaluate its background, as well as the ecological, policy and historical framework of the region. Secondly, the researcher will analyse the local and government environmental protection policies in the region. The third stage of the research will be comprised of analyzing information about the management of Three- River-Source region’s environment based on the book entitled Water Quality Management of Natural Resources by James Perry. The research will also include web searches on wetland conservation, protection strategy and other related topics will also be used to compile a broad base of data and information to help establish the best practices that can be implemented with regards to environmental protection and how they might be used as strategies for managing the Three-River-Source. Importance由于受全球气候变暖和人类活动加剧的双重影响，从上世纪后期以来，青海湖及其流域生态环境急剧恶化：  Importanceiiiiiiiiiih vdxjkvhdfkxhvfkd of Three-River-Source Region Given that the Three-River-Source region is the headwater of three rivers, this entails that it is the major source of water in the region since it is characterized by rivers, lakes, glaciers and wetlands. As a result, the region has come to be known as the “water tower of China” where the ecology creates a paradise for wildlife. Thus, the Three-River-Source region becomes the most significant bio-diversity area in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau which is also the largest resource base of alpine fauna and flora (Zhao et al., 2005). The region is also regarded as a large gene bank of rare plateau species. It can be noted that the ecological features of wetlands, plateau species, and water resources in the natural reserve are the essential factors that impact on Qinghai plateau’s ecosystem. Wetlands are very important for different agricultural activities. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency defines wetlands as “lands where saturation with water is the dominant factor determining the nature of soil development and the types of plant and animal communities living in the soil and on its surface,” (Mitsch, 2009). The wetlands of the Three-Rivers-Region constitute a natural water reservoir which is the main water source for living and commercial activities of the people in Qinghai Province. The area of wetlands of the Three Rivers Region is approximately 42,918km2 whereby the core area is 21.336km2 and the buffering area is 21,582km2 (Wang, 2010). The area is an important habitat for all kinds of wildlife species hence there is need to safe guard or protect the region’s ecosystem from activities that can lead to drought, floods, soil erosion as well as to reduce its natural self-purification capability. The Three-Rivers-Region’s wetlands are considered to be the most biologically diverse among all ecosystems and they constitute essential ecological features in Qinghai-Tibet plateau. In the natural reserve, there are more than 400 kinds of fauna and more than 600 kinds of plants and some of them thrive in the wetlands. According to Cheng (2007), the vegetation is categorized into nine different types which include the following: coniferous forest, broad-leaves forest, mixture forest, shrub land, marshy grassland, swamp, and acquatic vegetation. Special types of vegetation include pinaceae (Picea brachytyla var.omplanata), scape and fruit of Redflower Meconopsis (Meconopsis punicea Maxim), and plantworms (Cordyceps Sinensis). These different types of vegetation are listed under the national level protected flora. The rare and protected animals are Tibetan Antelope, wild yak (Bos mutus), snow leopard (Uncia uncia), blue sheep (Pseudois nayaur), Steppe Polecat (Mustela eversmanni larvatus), Corsac Fox (Vulpes corsac), Black-necked Crane (Grus nigricollis) for instance (Cheng, 2007). The region’s wetlands are regarded as the most successful habitat regardless of what constitute them or what was intended to be in it. Black-necked Crane (Grus nigricollis) is a good example of specie that bears testimony that the wetland is still in good quality. There is still life in the wetland otherwise these rare species could have disappeared long ago hence there is need to put concerted efforts to protect the remaining species. The existence of the Black-necked Crane is an indicator of wetland quality of life. The largest and most varied impact that the Three-Rivers-Region have on the ecosystem comes from the presence of their water supply and wetlands. For instance, these three rivers, Yangtze River, Yellow River, Lancang River provide the main water resources to the Qinhai province, which at times is deposited in certain branches of rivers as well as lakes in different areas and this provides abundant water supply for plants and animals. The rising of the water table as a result of supplies from the three rivers results in a wider wetland area which supports various alpine species (Li, 2009). Depending on the situation, the three rivers have an influence on rare species distribution and diversity, conservation of soil and water, the degradation of grassland, climate change, hydrology, and geomorphology of the region’s ecological environment (Liu et al., 2007) History of Three-River-Source Region Before 1980s when the population had not started to increase at tremendous rates in the Three-Rivers-Region, the water resources in this region were still abundant and were regarded as an important ecological contributor as well as a resource for native communities (Li, 2009). As a result of the climate changes as well as human activities such as trapping and destruction of habitat as human populations grew in the area, the water level of these three rivers began to steadily decrease. In recent years, it can be noted that as a result of global warming, glaciers, snow-capped mountains shrink year by year and they have a direct impact on highland lakes and wetlands. Some of the wetlands have even dried up which left some of the vegetation vulnerable. As the population and human unlimited production and business activities increased, the rate of environmental degradation of the Three-Rivers-Source has also increased. Elements of desertification Some of the original rivers and lakes in the River-Source-Region have dried up and water levels in some lakes have also decreased. For instance, during the last century, the water levels of Qinghai Lake have decreased by about 3.35 meters. In Qinghai Province alone, more than 2800 lakes no longer exist and there are only about 1,000 lakes left and these are also shrinking. This has also significantly reduced the amount of Jiang River Trail. According to hydrological observation data (1997), the Yellow River source has experienced an average annual flow of a downward trend of 226 days compare with the 80s of the previous century. The Yellow River, Yangtze River and Lancang Rivers annual flow decreased by 27%, 24% and 13% respectively. Thirdly, grassland degradation and desertification have also increased. According to different interpretations of satellite images and analytical statistics: Three-Rivers-Source degradation of alpine meadow rate rose from an annual average of the last century, about 80 years ago from 3.9% to 7.6% in the late 90s, alpine grassland degradation rate of the average during the same periods 2.3% up to 4.6%. At present, the Three Rivers Source area of degraded grassland area of available pasture area accounts for 26% -46%; in which the Yellow River source region’s degraded grassland area accounts for 68% of available area, Yangtze River area of degraded grassland area accounts for available 22.47%.It can also be noted that the Three Rivers area of desertified land area has expanded each year whereby the Yellow River source region has a desert area of 126.67 thousand hectares, Yangtze River increased by an average rate of desertification in the 20th century, in a period of 70 years from 4% to 90 years at an average of 20%. Impact of soil erosion The fourth aspect is that soil erosion is getting worse. The third remote-sensing based on the 2000 census data shows that soil erosion in Three Rivers Source is slightly more than 9.5 million hectares, accounting for 31.09% of the total area. The Yellow River source region has 3.78 million hectares, accounting for the Yellow River source region of the total area of 35.04%; Yangtze River for more than slight erosion area 4.89 million hectares, accounting for the total area of Yangtze River 29.64%; Lancang River source region for more than mild area of soil erosion of 84 million hectares, accounting for the total area of the Lancang River source region of 25.28%. Reduction of wildlife There has been a significant reduction in wildlife resources and many rare wild animals and plants are endangered or face extinction. The Plateaus ecological changes as a result of deterioration of living conditions as well as reduced distribution area, it can be noted that biodiversity is seriously threatened. According to information obtained from the 2000 census data, "Qinghai threatened species in about 15% of the total class number -20%, 10% -15% higher than the world average level." This is glaring evidence which shows that the Three Rivers Source’s ecological environment is deteriorating as a result of natural factors, human factors, social factors and a result of a variety of other related factors.    Human and Environment Conflict There is a conflict between the protection and use of the Three-Rivers-Source region’s natural resources. The government department responsible for developing the area often lacks sufficient funds to manage the development processes taking place in the area and this has resulted in the destruction of the Three-Rivers-Source because it is not fully valued by the developers who are mainly concerned about their own benefits at the expense of the environment as a whole. As human populations have increased in the region, there has also been a significant increase in the conflicts between their activities and the environment. One common conflict is the destruction of wildlife through trapping for pelt trade and destruction of wetland as a result of construction activities. As the habitat for the wildlife is destroyed as a result of human activities, the animals will migrate or succumb to death which cause and imbalance in the ecosystem. The other area of conflict is the exploitation of water resources by the humans which leads to lowering of the water table which will result in springs drying up. Soil erosion is also caused by the activities of the human beings. Therefore, human activities have different impacts on the ecosystem. Methods of Management Means of Management In order to protect the Three-Rivers-Source region’s ecological environment, there is need for establishment of a permanent ecological conservation zone. In 2005 the State approved the establishment of "Three Rivers Source, ecological protection zone", which is both an opportunity and a challenge (Source). In the Three Rivers area, the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is an important part of the landscape therefore there is need for short-term, partial protection that is influenced by national development strategies and long-term interests. In order to full protect the Three Rivers, there is need to establish a permanent ecological protection zone so as to safeguard the countrys ecological security and sustainable development strategies that are to promote sustainable development. There is also need to develop a series of relevant legal systems as well as administrative measures to ensure ecological protection efforts in Three Rivers Source. Another approach that can be taken towards the protection of Three Rivers Source is to establish a better ecological environment compensation mechanism. In order for Yangtze and Yellow Rivers to restore the ecological environment, there is need for the downstream beneficiaries (provinces) to play an active role in providing financial support towards the protection of the ecology. There is need to establish the River Ecological Protection Foundation in a bid to establish long-term stability of the ecological environment compensation mechanism. Thus, the four funding channels that can be utilized include the following: First, the central finance, environmental protection and development funds can be used, secondly, the middle and lower reaches of the Compensation Fund can be used, thirdly, social fund-raising is another option and the fourth aspect is the is to issue the ecological lottery in order to raise social and idle capital. Through the formation of the middle and lower reaches, the whole society stands to benefit through sharing and joint responsibility of the ecological compensation mechanism. River Ecological Protection Fund can be used to attract global capital and talent. The Yangtze and Yellow Rivers ecological protection can be transformed into self-conscious social behavior among the citizens towards the protection of the ecology. This is should not be limited to the Three Rivers region alone but to the broader area of China as a whole which can positively impact on protection the ecosystem. The other strategy that can be implemented is promotion of eco-Tourism which is also referred to as sustainable tourism. The essence of this type of tourism is to empower the members of the local communities to take a leading role in protecting the natural resources in their area that can be used as tourist attractions. The Three-Rivers-Source is comprised of a multi-ethnic neighborhood and multi-ethnic cultural characteristics which makes it rich in social and cultural resources. This is a unique aspect of the region such that eco-tourism is likely to triumph. The Three Rivers region has many unique tourism resources and it is better positioned to attract local and foreign tourists. These resources are related to the natural, geographical, ethnic, religious, historical and many other factors such as Chinas water tower, Three Rivers, the worlds highest saltwater lake - Qinghai Lake, the Panchen Lama, the Dalai Lamas hometown, both religion and art form the Buddhist culture and the colorful multi-ethnic representation are some of the advantages of Three Rivers Source. This can lead to the development of tourism, accelerated economic development in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Yangtze and Yellow Rivers can be developed into eco-tourism with great potential which does not only contribute to financial gains but to Yangtze and Yellow Rivers’ ecological and environmental protection. Thus, the Protection of Three Rivers Source can lead to the elimination of poverty among the citizens. It can be noted that the Three Rivers regions economic development has been lagging behind in many areas and there is still need to solve the food and clothing problems before environmental protection and sustainable development are fully implemented. No matter how strict the regulations may be, the initiative might remain a pipe dream in as much as the issues of food and clothing have not yet been resolved. As such, activities such as illegal mining which can lead to deforestation will be difficult to remove if pertinent issues related to daily survival are not adequately resolved. In a bid to reduce poverty as a way of promoting the protection of the ecology, there is need to mobilize Yangtze and Yellow Rivers residents to participate in environmental protection initiatives as well as to compensate residents for the development of alternative industries which can safeguard the environment. The movement of Yangtze and Yellow Rivers immigrants should be closely monitored so as to ensure that proper plans are put in place that are meant to protect the ecology. After the immigrants have settled, they may gradually acquire some wealth while the environment is protected. There will be need for integration of regional economic development and the utilization of local resources while at the same time maintaining a fine balance between the needs of the people and protection of the environment. The protection of Three Rivers Source is meant to encourage active public participation in environmental protection which can lead to sustained and stable economic and social development. Raising awareness among the people on the need to protect the environment is important in that it creates a sense of responsibility among them such that they will meaningfully contribute towards the restoration of the environment. There is need to mobilize the people through the use of the media, scientific research, cultural and non-governmental organizations, social groups and social organizations and other social forces, including active participation and support for environmental protection . Implementation of environmental information disclosure plays a pivotal role in improving the transparency of environmental management. It is also necessary to open regional environmental quality and openness in government and corporate environmental behavior in order to promote public understanding of environmental related issues. There is also need to promote the democratization of environmental decision-making to influence public participation in environmental decision-making affecting their interests, planning design and development and construction of the whole process of project evaluation.      The protection of the Three Rivers Source can positively contribute to the development of circular economy. This development ought to be guided by a scientific approach to development that is also meant to intensify environmental protection efforts. There is also need to insist on focusing on prevention, integrated management, and strengthen protection initiatives of the environment. A national policy is very important in as far as the development of the circular economy is concerned. The implementation of the suggested alternatives above will reduce the depletion of resources and will contribute to effective protection of the environment which can also enhance sustainable development. Conclusion Over and above, it can be noted that the attempt to protect the ecological environment is a pressing problem which is posing a serious challenge the world over. For instance, the changes in the Three-River-Source from the time of 1970s to present day have affected ecological environment and various wildlife species hence the study sought to establish the conflict between the activities of the people and their impacts on the ecology. It has been observed that the rapid growth of the population has significantly contributed to the depletion of the ecosystem. Measures that can be put in place include the formulation of environmental policies, raising awareness among the people about the importance of protecting the environment as well as promoting sustainable tourism. Read More