1 Yangtze Basin countries People’s Republic of China Summary of basin characteristics the surrounding lake basins, while during winter and spring, when water levels are low, the lakes drain he Yangtze – at 6,300km the third longest river back into the river. Fish and animals have adapted to in the world, with a basin covering 1.8 million these changes and – under natural conditions – move Tsquare kilometres – rises at an altitude of over freely among areas connected by seasonal flooding. 5,400m in the Tibet Plateau of western China. The river and the floodplain wetlands it feeds undergo Socio-economic importance extreme seasonal changes. During the summer rainy Four hundred million people – one-third of China’s season, the swollen waters of the Yangtze flood into population – live in the Yangtze basin. The alluvial Managing Rivers Wisely 2 Yangtze soil is so fertile that it permits two harvests per year. Within this overall policy, the central Yangtze In the lower reaches of the river, the abundance of basin, including the two major lakes of Dongting and flat land and water has facilitated the growth of Poyang, has been the focus of special attention densely populated and heavily industrialized cities. because of its combined socio-economic significance The central Yangtze is known as China’s ‘home of and ecological values. rice and fish’. The lakes serve as natural buffers by storing freshwater and reducing the extent and impact of Biodiversity values flooding in areas occupied by people. However, intensive land conversion – the building of dams, China’s two biggest freshwater lakes – Dongting dykes and polders – over 50 years has replaced wet- Lake and Poyang Lake – are in the central Yangtze lands with agriculture and urban settlements. This basin and, together with the river’s vast floodplains, has disrupted natural processes and fragmented habi- provide habitat for some 300 species of bird, includ- tats, endangering species such as Yangtze dolphin ing internationally protected migratory waterbirds Lipotes vexillifer, Yangtze alligator Alligator sinensis such as cranes and storks. The lakes and adjacent and Chinese sturgeon Acipenser sinensis. floodplains are home to two species of freshwater In summary, the key issues to be addressed in dolphins, more than 80 other mammal species, 200 reversing degradation of the central Yangtze basin species of fish, more than 60 species of amphibians, are: and around 90 species of reptiles. ■ loss of natural wetland functions due to frag- Priority issues for river basin mentation and degradation management ■ upstream erosion leading to accelerated down- Since the 1950s, China’s population has more than stream siltation doubled, with the main concentrations of people ■ lack of knowledge about wetland functions and located along major river valleys. This has placed values among decision-makers great pressure on the Yangtze floodplain ecosystem, ■ with conversion to farmland having greatly reduced failure of development and land-use policies the ability of the floodplain, rivers and lakes to buffer ■ institutional conflicts. flood peaks. The loss of functional floodplains, com- bined with deforestation in the watershed, has led to Role of WWF and its partners increasingly serious flood events over the past sev- eral decades. WWF’s Yangtze Programme aims to restore the After the devastating floods of 1996 and 1998 (in Yangtze as a living river by securing effective man- 1998 alone, more than 4,000 people died and damage agement of a significant area of wetlands in the cen- reached an estimated US$25 billion) the Chinese gov- tral Yangtze basin over a period of 25 years. It ernment issued the so-called ‘32 character policy’ includes restoration and ecotourism activities at aiming to reduce flood threats by working with nature Dongting Lake and integrated river basin manage- rather than fighting it. Interventions include: ment of Poyang Lake basin, using a combination of policy work and rehabilitation of ecological ■ a ban on logging in the upper catchments processes at demonstration sites. It is hoped that suc- ■ returning cultivated steep slopes to forest cesses at both Dongting and Poyang Lakes will catal- yse the adoption of similar approaches in the wider ■ relocating settlements from flood-prone areas to central Yangtze basin. higher ground safe from flooding WWF’s specific objectives are: ■ restoration of wetlands in the Yangtze floodplain ■ Restore Dongting Lake and its wetlands to their ■ reinforcing embankments 1950s extent (4,350km2) within ten years and ■ maintaining river courses, for example by manage the area sustainably, providing high- dredging. quality habitats for wetland biodiversity and Yangtze 3 livelihood opportunities for local people. ■ Public awareness of the tourism value of ■ Establish ecotourism in the Dongting Lake Dongting Lake was greatly enhanced through a region as one means of supporting wetland nationwide birdwatching competition in 2002, restoration and protection. organized by East Dongting Nature Reserve of Hunan Province. ■ Demonstrate integrated coordination and man- ■ agement of Poyang Lake basin. An ecotourism planning process in Hanshou County, facilitated by WWF, attracted participa- ■ Restore the natural connections between tion from a wide range of stakeholders, includ- Zhangdu Lake and the Yangtze River. ing local government, nature reserve managers, ■ Facilitate the establishment of an effective community leaders, fishermen and community- Integrated River Basin Management Committee based tourism companies. to restore a ‘Living Yangtze’. IRBM demonstration projects in Poyang Lake Key activities: basin ■ An integrated valuation study of Poyang Lake Restoration of Dongting Lake wetland, carried out by WWF working with part- ■ Working principally with the China Youth ners including the Mountain-River-Lake Office Development Foundation, 150ha of Xiban- of Jiangxi Province and institutes of the Chinese shanzhou polder (part of the drained Dongting Academy of Sciences and Beijing Normal Lake wetlands) have been restored through Universities, used the Millennium Ecosystem removal of the surrounding dyke. One hundred Assessment approach to place values on wetland and fifty families are now protected from flood- services such as flood retention, purification, ing and have increased their income by approxi- biodiversity, and recreation potential. mately 40 per cent through applying diversified ■ Stakeholder surveys, analysis of the root causes flood-adapted farming techniques. Farmers and of biodiversity loss, and studies of possible eco- officials in neighbouring areas are developing logical compensation mechanisms are being car- plans to implement the approach demonstrated ried out in consultation with partners. in Xibanshanzhou. ■ The ‘Mountain-River-Lake Development’ mas- ■ The government of Hunan Province has incor- ter plan, established in 1992, was relaunched in porated WWF’s input into its ‘4350 Programme’ 2003 as a natural resource management strategy to restore 1,700km2 of farmland to wetlands. at the basin scale. WWF facilitated the process ■ WWF is actively lobbying and undertaking and worked with the Jiangxi Mountain-River- fieldwork with Hunan Forestry Bureau to pro- Lake Office to draw up the IRBM master plan mote establishment of 11 additional nature and associated action plan. reserves (totalling 450km2) under the 4350 Programme. Demonstration project to relink Zhangdu Lake with the Yangtze River Ecotourism at Dongting Lake This project consists of three elements: new models ■ Local fishermen, supported by WWF, have set up for alternative livelihoods; habitat rehabilitation and an ecotourism company and are working closely establishment of wetland nature reserves; and effec- with the West Dongting Nature Reserve to tive relinkage of lakes and rivers. develop a co-management plan for the reserve. ■ A workshop on ecotourism organized jointly by ■ WWF is working to restore Zhangdu Lake as a WWF and the Changde Tourism Department of natural wetland by opening the existing flood- Hunan Province included stakeholders from gates that cut the lake off from the Yangtze government, the business sector and the local River. The main partners include the Yangtze community. Water Resource Protection Commission, Managing Rivers Wisely 4 Yangtze Yangtze Fishery Management Commission, By drawing together all these important stake- State Forest Administration, Hubei Forestry holders, WWF aims to produce a common vision Bureau, State Council Centre for Development for the Yangtze River basin and propose solu- Research, and institutes of the Chinese Academy tions to the many challenging freshwater issues. of Sciences. The aim is to restore 60km2 of wet- The recommendations will be submitted to the land (the lake is currently 40km2) and to secure central government with the aim of securing a commitment to restoring a much larger area. official support for an effective River Basin WWF has set a target of 200km2 of wetland Management Committee to drive the long-term restoration through relinking lakes, including restoration of a ‘Living Yangtze’. Zhangdu, with the Yangtze. ■ Beyond the obvious benefits for biodiversity, Conservation method demonstrated initial hydrological calculations show that the additional flood retention area created as a result Showcasing sustainable wetland restoration – of WWF’s work will be 80 million cubic metres restoring reclaimed agricultural land to floodplains to – the equivalent of 30,000 Olympic-sized swim- reduce flood