The natural environment in the vast region of western China now is
getting even worse despite the nation's efforts to tackle the
issue, and China may lose more than it gains if environmental
problems persist, environment officials and researchers warned
Saturday.
A
survey of environmental situations in 12 provinces in the west
found nearly none of the old environment worries, such as soil
erosion, desertification, and shrinking of forests and grassland,
has been successfully curbed. In fact, many of these problems have
worsened.
The
State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) and the
Chinese Academy of Sciences jointly made the survey.
"The ecological environment in the west is becoming more fragile as
the destruction of the environment by human beings continues to be
serious," said Yang Chaofei, a SEPA official in charge of nature
environmental conservation. "We are in a critical situation."
Although the central and local governments attached great
importance to environmental protection in the west, the
environmental deterioration has not been deterred "mainly due to
irrational human activities," Yang said.
Unfavorable natural factors, such as climate and geological
conditions, have already made the western area of China vulnerable
to natural disasters.
The situation is becoming more threatening as local people abuse
water resources which are already insufficient, or overdevelop the
stockbreeding industry.
The survey found soil erosion is serious in the western region,
which is dominated by deserts and barren mountains, and large
tracts of farmland are turning into deserts.
In
some provinces in west China, more than half of the land is
suffering from soil erosion, and there are no signs that things
will change.
"Human beings in the area should take the bulk of the
responsibility" to correct the situation, said Yang Chaofei, adding
the root of the problem is poverty.
Local people destroyed large tracts of forest and grassland to make
way for grain production without considering whether the land was
suitable for cultivation.
When the land is found low-yield and high-cost for grain
production, it is often wasted and eventually eroded.
Massive construction of dams and irrigation projects in land-locked
areas may cause shortages of water supply in the lower reaches of
rivers, and shrinking of lakes, oasis and wetland, which are
critical to a healthy environment.
China has started an ambitious plan to develop underdeveloped
regions in its western areas in order to narrow the widening gaps
between the underdeveloped west and the advanced east.
But the locals could lose more than they gain if environmental
deterioration becomes more serious, the official said.
A
study in nine Chinese provinces in the west showed that
environmental deterioration could lead to almost 150 billion yuan
(US$ 18.7 billion) in direct economic losses a year, or about 13
percent of the annual gross domestic products of the area.
Frequent disasters may force many local residents to flee their
hometowns, becoming "ecological refugees," Yang said.
"If we fail to curb the environmental deterioration in the west,
our country's abilities of economic and social developments may be
weakened," he said.
"Then, the country's ecological safety will face more serious
threats," he added.
( December 30, 2001)