Report on Ramsar visit to Poyang Lake Ramsar site, P.R. China, 12‐17 April 2010 Report prepared on behalf of the Secretariat of the Ramsar Convention by Max Finlayson1, Jim Harris2, Matthew McCartney3, Lew Young4, and Zhang Chen5 1 Institute for Land, Water and Society, Charles Sturt University, Albury, Australia. email: [email protected] 2 International Crane Foundation, Baraboo, USA and Chair, IUCN Crane Specialist Group. email: [email protected] 3 International Water Management Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. email: [email protected] 4 Ramsar Convention Secretariat, Gland, Switzerland. email: [email protected] 5 WWF-China, Changsha, Hunan, China. email: [email protected] 1 Contents SUMMARY ............................................................................................................................................................4 1. POYANG LAKE, P.R. CHINA (RAMSAR SITE N° 550) .......................................................................................8 1.1 The Poyang Lake environment ...................................................................................................................8 1.2 Poyang Lake Ramsar Site ............................................................................................................................9 2. BACKGROUND INFORMATION .................................................................................................................. 11 2.1 Problems facing the site .......................................................................................................................... 11 2.2 Measure proposed by the Jiangxi Provincial Government ...................................................................... 11 3. INTERNATIONAL AND NATIONAL OBLIGATIONS ....................................................................................... 12 3.1 Obligations under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands ........................................................................ 12 3.2 Obligations under Chinese national regulations ..................................................................................... 13 4. VISIT TO POYANG LAKE BY THE RAMSAR TEAM ........................................................................................ 13 4.1 Involvement of the Ramsar Secretariat and the formation of an expert team to visit Poyang Lake ...... 13 4.2 Meeting with the State Forestry Administration (SFA) ........................................................................... 13 4.3 Meeting with Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) ................................................................................. 14 4.4 Meeting with the Governor of Jiangxi Province ...................................................................................... 14 4.5 Meeting with provincial government departments ................................................................................ 14 5. ISSUES CONSIDERED BY THE TEAM ........................................................................................................... 15 5.1 Information needs ................................................................................................................................... 15 5.2 Potential impacts on the submerged vegetation in the Lake.................................................................. 17 5.3 Potential impacts Upon Migratory Waterbirds Wintering at Poyang Lake ............................................. 18 5.4 Potential impacts on finless porpoises and fisheries .............................................................................. 19 5.5 Potential impacts on Poyang Lake Nature Reserve and other nature reserves in Poyang Lake ............. 20 5.6 Design and management of a dam .......................................................................................................... 21 5.7 Influences due to development within the lake basin ............................................................................ 22 2 5.8 Possible negative impacts from long‐term climate variability and change ............................................. 23 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS ......................................................................................................... 24 6.1 Information gaps: .................................................................................................................................... 25 6.2 Potential impacts on the submerged vegetation in the Lake.................................................................. 26 6.3 Potential impacts on migratory waterbirds and other animals .............................................................. 26 6.4 Policy ........................................................................................................................................................ 27 6.4.1 Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM) approach ....................................................................... 27 6.4.2 Assessment of the effect of the proposed Poyang Lake hydraulic project .......................................... 27 6. REFERENCES CITED .................................................................................................................................... 28 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS...................................................................................................................................... 30 3 SUMMARY 概要： In response to a request from Jiangxi Province Forestry Department, the Secretariat of the Ramsar Convention formed a team of experts to investigate the ecological environment of Poyang Lake and the current situation for wintering migratory birds and to consult with governmental officials and scientific experts about the plan for the Poyang Lake Water Control Project. The team of experts was able to visit Poyang Lake and attend presentations and discuss the project with officials and experts who provided a large amount of information on the ecological character of Poyang Lake covering the biology, water chemistry and hydrology in particular. 应江西省林业厅的邀请，湿地公约局秘书处组建专家组（简称专家组），目的是对鄱阳湖生态环境和现 今冬候鸟基本状况进行考察，同时与政府部门及科学家就鄱阳湖水利枢纽工程进行商讨。其间，专家组 实地考察了鄱阳湖，并与政府有关部门政府官员及相关科学家通过报告与讨论等形式就鄱阳湖生态特 征，尤其是生物多样性、水化学、水文等领域交流了大量信息。 In line with the obligations under the Ramsar Convention to make wise use of and maintain the ecological character of the lake, it is emphasized that all management decisions should be based on the best available scientific evidence and in line with international guidance for the sustainable use of wetlands and their resources (ecosystem services). This obligation under the Ramsar Convention is particularly important as it has been reported that the lake has already undergone a change in ecological character with consequent changes in its widely recognized conservation and biodiversity values. The significance of protecting the ecological character of Poyang Lake is all the greater given the deterioration of many wetlands and waterbird populations within the middle reaches of the Yangtze River Basin, and the extraordinary importance of Poyang Lake wetlands and biodiversity on a global level. 湿地公约对湿地合理利用及保护的相关义务和原则强调：所有的湿地管理决策都应当建立在充分的科学 论证和湿地及其资源（或生态系统服务功能）的可持续利用的国际框架之下作出。当湖泊公认的具有保 护意义和生物多样性价值的生态学特征被改变时，上述义务与原则就尤其重要。在现今长江中下游众多 湿地和水鸟种群已经受到威胁的情况下，鄱阳湖湿地生态系统的保护更显紧迫。而且鄱阳湖的湿地生物 多样性和生态价值在全球层面上也是不可替代的。 A number of key recommendations are made below based on the conclusions drawn by the Ramsar team and outlined in more detail in the body of the report: 基于此，专家组给出以下主要建议，具体详细信息请参见报告内容： Throughout their visit, the team was informed by many experts that the seasonal decline in winter water level was now starting earlier and was lasting for a longer period. The team, however, was unable to assess the scientific data to ascertain the causes of this change, for example, whether it was due to short‐ term climate variability, longer‐term climate change or changes to the flows along the Yangtze and tributary rivers to the lake. The causes of the change in winter water levels need to be investigated and placed in a climate context for future management. 通过此次考察，专家组经常被告知，近年来鄱阳湖提前进入冬季枯水期，而且枯水期延长，水位偏 低。但是专家组目前还没有足够的科学数据来确定这种变化的原因。换句话说，还不能确定这是不 是气候的短期异常或长期变化所引起，或者是长江干流的变化还是鄱阳湖支流的变化所引起的。为 了将来管理的需要，冬季水位下降的原因还需要在气候变化的大背景下更进一步的调查和研究。 4 Once the causes of the change in water levels are unambiguously determined, further effort should be directed towards assessing a range of solutions and determining which would be the most effective without impacting on the remarkable ecological and economic importance of Poyang Lake. If the ecological character of the lake is found to be changing, the Ramsar Secretariat should be formally informed as required under Article 3.2 of the Convention. 冬季水位下降的原因一旦清晰，应进一步考虑多种解决途径，从中择取最有效解决问题的方式，且 对鄱阳湖生态系统和社会经济没有显著的负面影响。如果发现鄱阳湖的生态系统特性被改变，依照 湿地公约 3.2 条款湿地公约局应得到正式通知。 Given the importance of the ecosystem services provided by the lake both locally and to downstream inhabitants it could also be beneficial to introduce an incentives scheme to ensure that these services are maintained, and benefits accrued by the wider community. This strategy may include a scheme of Payment for Ecosystem Services whereby Jiangxi could receive significant development support while sustaining the widely recognized ecosystem benefits provided by the lake, many of which have regional or global significance. 应引进一种奖励机制，用于保持鄱阳湖为当地和下游提供的重要生态系统服务功能。江西省为了保 护那些重要和具有国际意义的生态区可能会丧失部分发展机会，但是可以通过生态补偿机制的建立 得到相应的资金补偿。 As Poyang Lake is a unique wetland system that has evolved in response to the natural