Contend & Discussion: Poyang Lake Water Conservancy (Floodgate Construction) Project Symposium Convened by CBCGDF Held Successfully | 140,000 People Participated Virtually- 中国生物多样性保护与绿色发展基金会

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Contend & Discussion: Poyang Lake Water Conservancy (Floodgate Construction) Project Symposium Convened by CBCGDF Held Successfully | 140,000 People Participated Virtually

2021/1/19 15:22:00 本站

During two visits to the Yangtze River Economic Belt, President Xi Jinping pointed out: The Yangtze River is sick, and it is very sick. He emphasized that “The Yangtze River's biological integrity index has reached the worst level of ‘no fish’” and demanded that "restoring the Yangtze River's ecological environment should be placed in an overwhelming position, with great protection and no major development." As an institutional guarantee to consolidate the protection of the Yangtze River, China's first river basin law - the "Yangtze River Protection Law" will also be formally implemented on March 1, 2021.

In this context, recently, the Poyang Lake Water Conservancy (Floodgate Construction) Project has been proposed again. In addition, The Department of Natural Resources of Jiangxi Province issued the "Pre-approval Announcement for the Pre-examination and Site Selection of the Poyang Lake Water Conservancy Construction Project", which aroused concern and disputes from all parties.

On January 16, 2021, the "Poyang Lake Water Conservancy (Floodgate Construction) Project" symposium convened by the China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF) Research Department was held in Beijing.

The meeting focused on the scientific and rationality of the Poyang Lake project and carried out discussions. At the same time, participants asked questions including whether the construction of the floodgate, which is of concern to all sectors of society, is consistent with the concept of protection of the entire Yangtze River; whether it can scientifically solve the problem that the dry season of Poyang Lake arrives early under the premise of ensuring the ecological environment; whether it will effect the migration of the key species such as finless porpoise and white crane in Poyang Lake as well as the adverse effects of their habitats, and exchanged views.

Lu Yaoru, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and researcher of the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Wang Hao, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, hydrology and water resources scientist, Zhou Jinfeng, member of the 9th, 10th and 11th CPPCC National Committee and Secretary-General of CBCGDF, as well as Liu Zubin, Director of the Construction Office of Poyang Lake Water Conservancy Project in Jiangxi Province, and Duan Ming, an engineer, attended the symposium. The meeting was chaired by Ma Yong, Deputy Secretary-General of CBCGDF.

This meeting has attracted great attention from all walks of life. Many experts in the fields of ecological environment, biodiversity protection, water conservancy engineering, wetlands, geography, remote sensing, etc. participated in the symposium virtually or on-site. CBCGDF Media platforms livestreamed the meeting. The number of netizens who watched, studied and discussed online reached 140,000.

The Yangtze River is the largest river in China, with numerous tributaries and unique ecosystems. It is also the most typical area of biodiversity in the country. Poyang Lake is one of the largest sources of runoff in the Yangtze River. Its appearance is mainly controlled by the water level of the Yangtze River. It is a lake in the flood season and a river in the dry season. It changes drastically during the year. Poyang Lake has a large throughput capacity and is an important storage space for floods and water resources in the Yangtze River.

In recent years, after frequent flood seasons in Poyang Lake, it dried up early, the water level dropped, and even continued to have extremely low water levels. In order to solve these problems, relevant parties in Jiangxi have been committed to promoting the construction of Poyang Lake water conservancy projects for many years. From the first proposed dam construction to the current adjustment to the construction of a floodgate, the aim is to “restore and scientifically adjust the relationship between rivers and lakes through the construction of the floodgate, and to improve the carrying capacity of water resources and the water environment in Poyang Lake. The main tasks are ecological environmental protection, irrigation, urban and rural areas, water supply, shipping, etc., also have the potential to replenish water downstream during dry periods."

However, for the Poyang Lake floodgate construction project, all walks of life have always received mixed reviews, and the voices of support and opposition are fierce. Some experts believe that the protection of the Yangtze River is a comprehensive and systemic issue. The construction of a floodgate on Poyang Lake will block the smooth flow of the rivers and lakes and will also have a series of effects on the water volume of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. Some experts believe that if the construction of a floodgate is not carried out, the low water problem of Poyang Lake will be more serious by 2030, which will further affect the water used for agricultural irrigation and residents' domestic water. At the same time, some experts expressed concern about the continued impact of species such as finless porpoise migration and Oriental white stork after the construction of the floodgate, hoping to obtain more accurate assessment data. Other experts believe that the construction of the floodgate is a "pseudo-ecological" project, and the core purpose is to unblock the waterway and enhance the economic value of water utilization. Some experts believe that Poyang Lake’s basic natural characteristics of “a lake in flood season and a river in dry season” have not changed. It is recommended to consider it comprehensively to combine the reservoirs of the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, the erosion of the mainstream, and the activities of large amounts of sand mining. To look at the issue of the Yangtze River from an overall situation as a whole to avoid more new problems caused by the remaining problems of the project construction.

Non-profit organizations, some experts and frontline volunteers concerned with the protection of species such as birds and finless porpoises and the ecological environment of the Yangtze River and Poyang Lake have also recently submitted joint signed petition to the Department of Natural Resources of Jiangxi Province. They believe that the floodgate construction project violates the scientific evaluation principles, has not undergone rigorous and comprehensive scientific argumentation, and violates the principle of "multiple regulations in one", without integrating various planning and regulatory requirements. For example, the project violated the "Wetland Protection Regulations of Jiangxi Province" (2012): During the wintering period of migratory birds, the national wetland nature reserve in the Poyang Lake wetland area shall not engage in activities that damage the habitat and foraging environment of migratory birds. And the announcement of the site selection of the floodgate construction project has not been approved by the provincial land and resources department.

The symposium was also followed and reported by many media.

Zhou Jinfeng gave a speech.

Academician Lu Yaoru

Academician Wang Hao spoke online.

Liu Zubin, Director of the Construction Office of Poyang Lake Water Conservancy Project in Jiangxi Province, and Duan Ming, an engineer, attended the symposium.