© World Wide Fund for Nature. All Rights Reserved. What We Do > Conservation Programs > Ecoregions > Yangtze River & Lakes Living Yangtze The Yangtze lakes and rivers ecoregion is China's most important freshwater ecosystem. Home to over 400 million people - one-third of China's population, this 'land of fish and rice' is one of the cradles of Chinese civilization. The soil in this region's thousands of rivers and floodplain wetlands is so fertile that it permits as many as three harvests per year. In the lower reaches of the river, the abundance of flat land and water has facilitated the growth of densely populated and heavily industrialized cities. While the intensive development of the river valley over many centuries has left few sites unaltered by mankind, the Yangtze River still supports an impressive array of biological wealth, including the highly endangered Yangtze alligator and the Yangtze River dolphin, of which there are believed to be less than 70 individuals left in the wild. The Central Yangtze also provides a critical habitat for migratory birds, including 95 percent of the wintering Siberian White Crane population. One third of the four hundred fish species are endemic, including the Chinese sturgeon. In the last 100 years, the Yangtze River has suffered from deforestation, wetland reclamation, and pollution due to human activity and economic development. Due to increasing sedimentation, since 1825, Dongting Lake has shrunk from its original size of 6,300 square kilometers to its present size of 2,700 square kilometers. Its biodiversity has decreased dramatically, frequent floods have driven people from their homes, and clean water has become a luxury. In 1998, right after the disastrous flood, the Chinese Government announced an integrated flood control policy emphasizing wetland restoration and reforestation. WWF responded rapidly with its Living Yangtze program, which aims to give practical support to the policy and to disseminate the vision and methods of sustainable river basin management along the Yangtze basin. Through education, demonstration, communication, and policy dialogue, WWF hopes to gradually recover a 'living Yangtze' within 25 years. Objective To restore and protect the Yangtze River floodplain lakes, wetlands, and forests and improve water use efficiency by: Undertaking economic studies of polders (farmland surrounded by dikes) along the Yangtze in order to provide a scientific information base for wetlands recovery and sustainable development Assisting local governments and farmers to seek appropriate economic models along the Central Yangtze Promoting effective communication among government, institutions, communities, businesses, and private individuals to improve public awareness and the understanding of wetland reserves and a living river. Current status Socio-Economic Studies on Wetland Restoration in the Central Yangtze: As China implements its wetland restoration policy and enters WTO, the need for structural reform of agriculture becomes ever clearer. The main factor causing the disappearance of wetlands is human activity, such as land reclamation. A database on socio-economic development in the Central Yangtze region has been established, which can be used to analyze economic development trends. A fundamental for wetland restoration is to identify alternative livelihoods for local farmers. Using this research together with participatory planning, WWF is helping to implement sustainable income-generating activities for farmers. Ecoregion Conservation Planning in the Central Yangtze: The Yangtze River basin is the habitat of 350 bird species, 600 species of water plants, 400 species of fish, and rare species such as the Yangtze River dolphin. WWF has conducted comprehensive monitoring and research in the region, such as identifying, for example, the migration patterns of fish and the habitat needs of individual species. Based on this research, WWF will assist local governments to develop biodiversity conservation plans to protect the Yangtze River ecosystem. Current projects include: field assessment and monitoring of migrating fishes in the Central Yangtze; an integrated survey on wetland biodiversity in Anqing City; and ecoregion-based biodiversity conservation plans. Wetland Restoration Field Demonstration: Wetland restoration does not simply mean the transfer of farmland back to natural wetlands, but seeks to make use of part of the restored wetland resources in sustainable ways. Learning from WWF's international experience in wetland restoration and river basin management, demonstration projects on wetland restoration and alternative livelihood are being developed in Xibanshanzhou Polder, Qinshan Polder, Nanpiehonghe, Qijia Polder, West Dongting Lake Nature Reserve, Qijia Polder in Honghu, and Poyang Lake. This project helps provide local farmers with new economic opportunities and to develop 'wetland industries,' including aquaculture, animal husbandry, ecotourism, and greenhouse cultivation. Environmental Education in West Dongting Lake: Environmental education is crucial for long-term environmental protection. Communication and education activities of the Yangtze program target government officials, farmers in the region, students, and the wider public. Environmental education is currently implemented in four areas: teacher training, course integration, community education, and teaching materials development. Hydrological Modeling for Dongting Lake: Hydrological models and digital elevation models will provide decision-makers with scientific support in managing wetland restoration and flood defenses. The models forecast the potential results of flood elimination by applying various wetland restoration scenarios. During the flooding season, the computer models can be used to monitor the progress of floodwaters. Achievements Socio-Economic Studies on Wetland Restoration in the Central Yangtze: Research so far has found the following: The benefit of agricultural production in polders is marginal. Results showed that rice and cotton production yielded a marginal net benefit of US$9/mu (1 mu = 1/15 hectare) for rice and US$47/mu for cotton. However, if labor costs of US$2.50/day were taken into consideration, rice production would be loss making. Enormous amounts of money and labor were invested in building dykes, yet flood damage has increased dramatically. Simply put, analysis of the relationship between dyke construction and flooded areas concluded that 'the higher the dyke, the higher the risk.' Investigating the flooded areas in the Central Yangtze, WWF discovered that local people suffered heavily from property loss, debts incurred due to home rebuilding, and poor quality of life. Average loss per family due to the 1998 floods was US$1282, and farmers had to leave their homes for an average of 78 days. Wetland Restoration Field Demonstration: Two years after Qingshan polder was abandoned, thousands of water birds have returned, including some 500 swans, 20 Eurasian spoonbills, four Siberian White Cranes, and dozens of other species. Ecotourism is now being developed in Qingshan Polder. In September 2001, a visitor's center beside Dongting Lake was opened to the public and construction of birdwatching platforms and visitor paths have all begun. Information on wetlands has been made available through brochures, photos, and videos. In addition, WWF has organized capacity-building training for reserve management staff, and assisted farmers in developing floating cage fishery, animal husbandry, and new agricultural techniques. WWF is helping farmers seeks new livelihoods by providing technical and financial support to families in Xipanshanzhou Polder. Farmers made their own choices for which project to implement. One hundred forty-nine families chose pig breeding; eight families chose chicken, duck, or fish breeding; and four families chose grassland husbandry or greenhouse planting. From December 1999 to May 2000, average incomes increased from US$246 to US$634 per household per year. Environmental Education and Awareness Raising: In May and June 2000, 20 'Hope for the Yangtze' lectures were organized in 19 universities in major cities along the Yangtze River, attracting over 5000 participants. In July 2000, 20 students from Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong universities took part in the Central Yangtze Ecological Investigation trip, in which they visited the Three Gorges Project site, Dongting Nature Reserve, and a WWF demonstration site. In July 2000, a group of students and teachers from the pilot schools took part in a green summer camp in Dongting Nature Reserve organized by WWF. The various activities aimed to help local students get involved in community environmental activities. In September 2000, WWF established an Environmental Education Center in Hunan Normal University. Twenty-six teachers from various departments of the University participated in the initial training. Eight of the trainees then became trainers for local primary and middle school teachers. Four local schools were selected as pilot schools to integrate the new environmental education approaches into normal courses. Teaching materials have been developed focusing on the Yangtze region, its biodiversity, its various ecosystems, and the social and cultural characteristics of the area. Together with the Hunan Forest Bureau, WWF established a visitor's center focusing on the biodiversity of the Yangtze in Changsha, Hunan Province. An estimated 15,000 people have visited the center in the past year. WWF has sponsored a number of publications providing information about the Yangtze, including Wetlands newsletter, Dongting Lake, The Source of the Yangtze, and Jinsha River. Hydrological Modeling for Dongting Lake: Research so far has found the following: The flood water level of Dongting Lake rose due to reclamation and siltation. At the Nanzui part of the lake, the water level was 1.22m higher than it should have been if the basin had remained the same as in 1952. Wetland reclamation has had a more serious impact than siltation in raising water levels. Of the 10 sites chosen for monitoring, eight suffered because of reclamation activity. Restoration of wetlands has the potential to generate remarkable reductions in flooding. By restoring polders surrounding Dongting Lake, the lake water level would decrease by 0.5m. Wetland Ambassador's Campaign: From May to September 2001, WWF successfully conducted a campaign with the goal of raising awareness of the benefits of wetland restoration among local farmers and officials. The campaign was announced on national media, and called for university student volunteers to submit proposals on how to achieve this goal. A panel of experts chose 10 finalists, with 100,000 visitors logging on to the live web event on the selection of finalists! Each finalist received a small grant from WWF to implement his or her proposal. WWF conducted a training course consisting of both in-house lectures and fieldwork to familiarize students with wetland restoration issues. Activities carried out by the groups ranged from a wetland product exhibition and interviews with government officials to a wetland documentary and publicity campaign - all with the aim of identifying the needs and difficulties of local people in restoring wetlands and sustainable use. The campaign gave wide exposure to the value of wetlands, what individuals can do to help and alternative livelihoods for local farmers. Over 1000 students were involved in the campaign, with 200 students conducting face-to-face interviews with local people. 100,000 people were either directly interviewed or communicated with. In addition to being widely covered on the web, over 150 stories were reported by traditional media, including China's leading TV stations (CCTV-1 and CCTV-7) and newspapers (Xinhua, China Daily, etc.). Survey on Polder (farmland surrounded by dykes) Economy: From July 19-31, 1999, WWF together with the China Youth Development Foundation (China's largest NGO), conducted a survey on polder economy. The survey gathered socio-economic information, an essential component of successfully restoring wetlands. Sixty volunteers from six universities conducted interviews in 3000 local households and gathered basic data on issues ranging from the cost-benefit of grain production in polders to locals' views on wetland restoration. The volunteers raised awareness of the importance of wetlands and discussed wetland ecology with local government officials and farmers, and encouraged their participation in wetland restoration. Posters illustrating the value and function of wetland restoration were distributed to interviewees along with the survey. Partners China State Forest Administration (Ministry of Agriculture), Development Research Center of the State Council, Beijing University, Fudan University, Nanjing University, China Agricultural University, Beijing Normal University, Hunan Normal University, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research (Chinese Academy of Sciences), Nanjing Institute of Geography & Limnology (Chinese Academy of Sciences), Changsha Institute of Agricultural Modernization (Chinese Academy of Sciences), Promotion Association for Sustainable Development of MRL Region (Jiangxi Province), Forest Department of Hunan Province, Changde Forest Department (Hunan Province), Forest Department of Hanshou County (Hunan Province), Hydrology and Water Resource Bureau of Hunan Province, Yuanjiang Municipal Government (Hunan Province), Hanshou Government (Hunan Province), West Dongting Nature Reserve, East Dongting Nature Reserve, Anqing Wetland Nature Reserve, China Youth Development Foundation, Hunan Youth Development Foundation, Hubei Youth Development Foundation, Green River, Yangtze Development Research Institute, Xinhua News Agency, People's Daily, China Central Television, China People's Broadcasting Station, China Youth Daily, Outlook Weekly, Technology and Science Daily, China Environment News, Hunan Television, Hunan Daily News, Wuhan Taohua Island Ecology Park Co. 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