On March 24, Yi Lianhong, Governor of Jiangxi Province, hosted a special dispatch meeting for the Poyang Lake Water Conservancy Hub. After hearing the progress report of the preliminary work of the project, he emphasized the commitment to protecting the ecological functions of Poyang Lake and its environmental carrying capacity and scientifically advance the preliminary work of the Poyang Lake Water Conservancy Project.

After reading related reports, Zhou Haixiang, a member of The Chinese National Committee for Man and the Biosphere Programme, UNESCO pointed out: The reason why Poyang Lake has become the largest inland wintering place for migratory waterbirds in Northeast Asia is because it maintains normal connectivity with the Yangtze River. Almost all white cranes are there for winter.

Historically, such normal connectivity in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River has been everywhere, but unfortunately, it is currently separated by dams. But at the same time, fortunately, Poyang Lake still retains its natural connectivity. The high-water level of the Yangtze River in summer makes the ocean there, and fish and shrimp are scattered throughout the lake. And in winter, there will return to the characteristics of water leakage, exposing the vast tidal flat, becoming a habitat and feeding ground for a large number of water birds.

In addition, Zhou Haixiang pointed out: "We can't always just see the immediate benefits. The advancement of the Poyang Lake Water Conservancy Project is likely to destroy the most important wintering sites of migratory waterbirds in China and the world. The ecological civilization of Poyang Lake is a refusal to barbaric and violent plunder of nature and embodies the idea that people and nature live in harmony everywhere. Therefore, it is necessary to retain the natural properties of Poyang Lake and not to destroy the function of the ecosystem that has formed the history of water discharge.

The low water level in autumn and winter this year may be the main excuse for restarting the water conservancy project but judging from the tracking of multiple white cranes during the winter, this year is the most stable and safest winter. The project construction is to control the dry water level, and the objective consequence is to drown some wetlands far from the village.

(Photo credit: Zhou Haixiang)

By / Maggie