Source: CCTV.com

08-02-2006 10:10

To me, a Xinjiang assignment is different from a trip to anywhere else in China. Without a separate visa, and without needing to know any Central Asian languages, it boggles the mind to be able to travel in a place where flatbread trumps rice, the minarets of mosques dot the city skyline, and, rather than being some faraway legend, the desert is king, merely punctuated by snow-capped mountains, expansive grasslands, and lush forests. In every sense, Xinjiang is a land of contrasts. One of the most striking contrasts I saw on this trip lay in the extremes of the environment. In the same places where the midday sun sizzled, nightfall brought a chill. Deep blue waterways sectioned off golden yellow sand and spiky green brush. Also striking were the ways that the environment had visibly changed: acres of once-vibrant forest ecosystems now stood as wood cemeteries.

Hauntingly beautiful, these forests seemed to demand my attention. Though mostly hollow, many of the trees still stood as proud shadows of the majesty they commanded before the river that nourished them was rerouted. They are grotesquely tangible evidence of the impact well meaning but ill-informed man can have on the environment.

In the early years after New China was founded, Xinjiang as a whole, and the Tarim River Valley specifically, experienced considerable population growth. But conditions were harsh, and engaging in agriculture proved difficult. In a desperate attempt to irrigate their farmland, newly-arrived migrants altered the course of the Tarim River. And despite their famed ability to withstand hardship, these poplars, some hundreds of years old, were thus drained of life. Man, too, was affected, as nearby settlements lost their primary source of water. Pressed for survival, they had to move elsewhere.

The task of cultivating Xinjiang’s vast land, and making it inhabitable for its residents, has been eased, in large part, by regiments of volunteers, who have been stationed here in some capacity since 1949. Among their responsibilites are reducing the economic burden on local governments and local people by starting large-scale construction and production projects, including various industries related to cotton. They have increased the overall agricultural yield by implementing widespread water-saving measures and tree-planting campaigns. Some regiments plant as many as 350,000 trees per year. However, despite having sufficient equipment and facilities, their work has remained difficult, as water has frequently been inadequate.

Over time, as conditions deteriorated, it became more and more evident that an intervention was necessary. The situation could not be allowed to continue on its path.

The need for these measures is all too apparent. Prior to these coordinated efforts, the volume and quality of the water flowing into the river had decreased so sharply that dependent ecosystems were left fragile and declining themselves. Logically, as these ecosystems falter, the natural (and most effective) barriers to forces like wind and sand disappear, hitting the region with an annual direct economic loss of 3 billion yuan.

And thankfully, where this transfer is urgently needed, it has begun to be successfully implemented. Looking at the Tarim at various points, both the difficulty and the importance of the task are apparent. In the lowest reaches, recent efforts have succeeded in getting water to pass over, but where the volume has not been sufficient, the water eventually evaporated, leaving the surface a plate of dry, cracking mud. Where the volume has been sufficient, however, vegetation has already started re-appearing, leading the stretch to be known by its former nickname, “The Green Corridor.”

The importance of water from the Tarim– cannot be overstated in ecosystems as fragile as this. Already, signs of life have begun to appear.

As plants are actually able to take root now, the quality of life for local residents has improved as well, as in these lie the possibility of side-effects as diverse as wildlife proliferation and pollution control.

Along with the obvious benefits restoring these areas brings, underground water resources are also protected in the course of these efforts, leading to the chance of survival for hundreds of kilometers of vegetation around the river. Locals have put this ground water table to use in similarly desperate situations.

Farmers have played a key role in the success of this campaign, as they have increased their water conservation behavior and modified their farming practices in accordance with scientific recommendations. In these ways, the desert is effectively kept at bay and agriculture is allowed to flourish.

If the amount of investment put in the management of the Tarim River Valley is any indication of its significance, this is indeed an ecosystem of great consequence. So far, some 11 billion yuan has been appropriated for goals here such as water conservation, development of underground water usage, management of the water’s course, ecosystem restoration, and other projects, one of which is the Qia La Hydrometric Station.

Sites like these seemed so paradoxical in person – truly a lush oasis right in the middle of desert. Its existence spoke highly of the success of their efforts so far.

The very first project in which Xinjiang approached sand stabilization through an international joint venture was the Sino-Korean Stabilization and Afforestation Project in southwest Turpan’s Aiding Lake region. For projects such as this one, much of the technology is relatively simple, and a comparatively small investment can achieve great strides. Economic benefits aside, this project has ushered in climate improvements such as fewer sandstorms and higher humidity.

Places like these seem to be treasured in Xinjiang even more than they are in other parts of the world – perhaps because people see the alternative so close at hand. Time has shown that where environments such as these are not properly cared for, the desert tends to advance right on top of them. To try to prevent this, 4 of Xinjiang’s main deserts, the Taklamakan, Zhungar, Nanyuan, and Kumutag have begun to receive special attention with regard to sand control. It is hoped that within 5 years, their rate of expansion will have been reduced by 70%.

Nothing in Korla signifies its ‘Model City’ status quite as succinctly as its People’s Square. Aside from the square’s manicured beauty, what stood out to me most was the way that it served as a gathering spot for all kinds of people -- not just retirees, or new moms, or young children. It seemed that every part of society had at least a few representatives at the square mid-day. People approached me speaking at least three different languages. Plenty of people had no interest in me at all, as they were busy just enjoying their time off. But how could all these people – working-age people! – have time in the middle of the afternoon on a weekday for all this leisure? Xinjiang’s other answer to the unbearable heat: the after-lunch siesta from 1 to 4. Between the sprinklers, the fountains, and the breeze the temperature on the square felt at least a few degrees cooler than the city around it.

That such a lot of time and money have been put into making a square like this gave me the feeling that Korla’s priorities, are not just on the typical city goals of economic prosperity and stability, but quality of life as well. Fortunately for Korla, it seems this very quality may be leading to greater economic gains.

The development of Peacock River is another project through which Korla has achieved many of its goals at once. Cutting right through the center of town, the river adds variety and a sense of nature to the city landscape. At the same time, it increased the number of people who had direct access to water – an extremely desirable condition to create here.

The desert sands and their effects are a fact of life in Xinjiang. And every administrative level, from large cities to tiny villages, has to have a plan for how they will fight back against the advancing sands. For the city of Korla, one main source of protection is a barrier of trees that forms a perimeter around the city. Workers from all over the city worked together to plant these trees in rural areas on the edges of the city, and as a result, not only have things like the overall climate started to improve, but the foundation for further improvements is strong as well, as the risk of erosion is much lower. The effectiveness of secondary measures such as irrigation has also been boosted.

But this level of attention is only a fairly recent phenomenon. In the last half of the 20th century, about half of Xinjiang’s wetlands were destroyed though the overuse or misuse of water resources. Many of the wetlands themselves were converted into other kinds of land. Thankfully, eventually the benefits of protecting the wetlands that remained became clear, if only economic at first. Eco-tourism is on the rise in China, as it is around the world, and many of Xinjiang’s newly-renovated wetlands are equipped to receive tourists in a sustainable way that also funds further protection. It is also widely accepted that healthy wetlands can contribute to the protection of surrounding areas, though it has been hard to put an exact economic value on this function so far. Finally, wetlands can lighten the burden local governments face in providing clean water for drinking and irrigation – something so precious that, it will only become more obvious – is valuable beyond any number.

Wetlands play an undeniably crucial role in the sustainability of any ecosystem, and all the more in ecosystems that are fragile or rebuilding. It is humbling to consider that man has not yet been able to create any substitute that functions so effectively in providing a hospitable habitat for wildlife, protecting underground water resources, filtering the air and water of various pollutants, and guarding against erosion. With the protection and rejuvenation of these areas a clear priority, it is inspiring to imagine what the status of the overall environment of Xinjiang will be in years to come.

 

Editor:Wang