Subsidence crisis in the Yangtze River Delta.
The Yangtze River Delta was once one of the most prosperous and wealthy regions in China. This fertile soil has experienced a long period of civilization accumulation, and it is the "best triangle" of today's economic growth. Behind the surface prosperity, however, an environmental catastrophe is brewing. The land is sinking at a rate of 1-4 centimeters per year, and geologists warn that if measures are not taken, the entire area could completely sink to the bottom of the ocean in 100 years.
The reason for the large-scale subsidence in the Yangtze River Delta is the result of natural geological changes on the one hand. The movement of the earth's crust causes the land to sink, which is a normal geological process. But the more immediate cause is the overexploitation of groundwater resources by human activities. With the rapid development of industry and commerce, the demand for fresh water has surged. The large amount of groundwater pumped has changed the relationship between water and soil, and the soil cannot withstand the enormous pressure and sinks. This is just like the common buildings in our lives that are tilted and deformed due to excessive force on the foundation soil, but it is a disaster on a geological scale.
It is worth noting that the subsidence in the Yangtze River Delta region also involves a major problem of national food security. This fertile land offers an abundance of high-quality agricultural products. Once it sinks to the bottom of the sea, our country's grain production may suffer a heavy blow. So, how can we protect this fertile land for survival while developing the economy?
First of all, the extraction of groundwater must be strictly controlled. Consideration could be given to setting a maximum limit for exploitation and imposing severe penalties on companies that exceed the standard. At the same time, through water resources planning and water diversion projects, the supply of surface water will be increased and the dependence on groundwater will be reduced. In addition, it is also necessary to vigorously develop water recycling technology and improve the efficiency of water resource use.
Second, it is necessary to rationally lay out urban planning and avoid over-exploitation of the Yangtze River Delta region. The process of urbanization can be appropriately slowed down and the flow of population to the central and western regions can be encouraged. In existing cities, it is necessary to limit the construction of new high-rise buildings to reduce the burden on land.
Finally, monitoring and early warning should be strengthened. Using satellite positioning and monitoring network technology, we can grasp the subsidence of the Yangtze River Delta as a whole and local areas in real time, and warn of dangerous blocks in advance, so as to provide a basis for planning and planning.
The subsidence of the Yangtze River Delta is a pain point in development and protection. We must face up to and address this environmental crisis, which has a bearing on the overall situation of the country's long-term development. How to pay attention to sustainability in economic construction is a topic that our generation needs to think carefully and strive to practice.
Northwest Territories aridification questions.
In recent years, the rainfall has further declined, resulting in the depletion of groundwater resources, soil salinization, and vegetation degradation, forming a vicious circle. It has been observed that in the past 30 years, there has been large-scale surface subsidence in the northwest region, with the accumulation of 50 centimeters in some areas. Land subsidence makes vegetation more unsustainable and is one of the important factors leading to aridification.
There are two main reasons for the subsidence in the Northwest Territories: First, climate change leads to a decrease in precipitation. Global warming has made the Northwest a "reduction center" of precipitation, with average annual precipitation falling by more than 10% compared to the previous century. The soil is not fully moistened, and it sinks after long-term compaction. Second, human activities overexploit groundwater resources. In order to maintain agricultural and animal husbandry production, a large amount of groundwater is pumped for irrigation, which disrupts the balance of water and soil. The water table is falling rapidly, and the ground is unable to withstand the gravitational pressure and collapses.
In the face of the increasingly severe trend of desertification, we must reflect on the impact of economic construction on the ecological environment. How to protect the fragile ecosystem and achieve a "win-win" situation between economic development and environmental protection is a major issue facing us.
First of all, it is necessary to strictly control the development and utilization of water resources in the northwest region. We should rationally lay out the structure of agriculture and animal husbandry, and gradually abolish cash crops that consume huge amounts of water. At the same time, water conservancy projects are used to collect rainwater and flash floods to increase the supply of surface water. In addition, the development of soilless cultivation and water-saving irrigation technologies suitable for the northwest region has greatly improved the efficiency of water resource utilization.
Second, vigorously promote the construction of desertification control projects and restore vegetation. Aerial sowing, grassland enclosure and other technologies are used to enhance the ability of soil to retain water and fertilizer. At the same time, through measures such as grass planting projects and windbreak network construction, the living environment will be improved and the trend of ecological deterioration will be reversed.
Finally, we should not simply rely on engineering methods, but should guide the transformation of regional development concepts. Respect the laws of nature, based on the advantages of local resource endowments, develop suitable industries, gradually eliminate backward production capacity with high water consumption and high pollution, and take the road of ecological priority and green development.
Desertification has seriously affected the sustainable development of Northwest China, testing our governance ability and ecological civilization literacy. How to realize the organic unity of economic construction and ecological protection is a difficult problem of the times, and it is also a mission that our generation needs to face and solve together.
Since ancient times, the Chinese nation has been well versed in the principle of "the unity of man and nature." While we develop and utilize nature, we must also respect nature and care for our common home. When we are faced with some geological changes that are not yet known, we must not be blindly arrogant, but should conduct in-depth investigations and respond rationally to avoid causing indelible ecological damage. We need to seek progress in development and coordination in protection, which is the mission of our generation to inherit and carry forward the long-standing civilization of the Chinese nation.