China s largest inland river has been disgraced for 30 years! After 20 years of governance, the resu

Mondo Science Updated on 2024-02-25

The Tarim River is the longest inland river in China and an important river in western China. It originates in the Aksu River in the Tien Shan Mountains and the Yarkand River in the Karakoram Mountains, passes through the Taklamakan Desert, and finally empties into Lop Nur.

With a total length of 2,486 kilometers and a basin area of 1.02 million square kilometers, the Tarim River is one of the largest inland river basins in the world. The population of the Tarim River basin is about 12 million, mainly distributed in the oasis area on both sides of the riverbank, and is mainly agricultural. The Tarim River is the source of life in the Tarim Basin and the mother river of Xinjiang.

This once vibrant river has suffered from serious ecological degradation since the fifties of the last century. Due to human activities such as population growth, land reclamation, and water demand for farming, as well as natural factors such as climate warming and the reduction of snow water in high mountains, the water resources of the Tarim River are becoming increasingly scarce, and the phenomenon of river interruption occurs frequently. In 1972, the Daxihaizi Reservoir, 320 kilometers away from the tail of the lower reaches of the Tarim River, was completed, which basically intercepted the water from the upper reaches of the Tarim River, and the downstream river was completely cut off from then on.

After the flow was cut off, the ecological environment of the downstream basin deteriorated rapidly, the river channels dried up, the lakes dried up, the wind and sand raged, the vegetation withered, the trees died, the desertification process intensified, the biodiversity was seriously damaged, and the disastrous weather of floating dust and sandstorms increased, making it the most serious ecological disaster area in the Tarim River Basin.

In the face of such an ecological crisis, we can't help but ask: how has the current bad situation in the Tahe River basin been improved? What measures have been taken by society to manage and protect this river?

The significance of the Tarim River to the Tarim Basin is not only reflected in its water resources and ecological functions, but also in its geography, history, agriculture and culture. Geographically, the Tarim River is the main water system of the Tarim Basin, the green corridor of the Taklamakan Desert, and an important oasis ecological barrier in southern Xinjiang.

Historically, the Tarim River was an important part of the ancient Silk Road, and the oasis on both sides of the river bank became a place for ancient merchants to rest and replenish, as well as an important node for cultural and material exchanges.

In the Tarim River Basin, a large number of ancient cultural relics and ruins have been unearthed, such as Qiuzi, Gaochang, Kuqa, Kashgar and other urban ruins, proving that this is one of the important birthplaces of ancient civilization.

From an agricultural point of view, the Tarim River is the main source of irrigation water in the Tarim Basin, and the oasis along the river is an important production area of grain, cotton, vegetables, fruits and other agricultural products in Xinjiang, as well as an important animal husbandry base in Xinjiang.

Since the headwaters of the Tarim River mainly depend on meltwater from alpine ice and snow, the volume of the Tarim River fluctuates with the seasons, generally reaching its maximum in summer and minimum in winter.

Moreover, the Tarim River is deep inland, and its water cannot be replenished by the sea at all, but can only be recharged by precipitation and groundwater. However, the Tarim River basin receives very little precipitation, with an average of only 36 mm per year and as much as 2,000 mm of evaporation, so the amount of water in the Tarim River is always in a state of deficit and eventually does not flow into the sea, but disappears into the saline land of Lop Nur.

If we look back at history, we will see that the Tarim River was once a picturesque river with many beautiful lakes and oases along the way, providing people with abundant resources and convenient transportation. The Qing Dynasty's "Records of the Waterways of the Western Regions" recorded the Tarim River's course, estuary, riverbank, river water, rivers, rivers and lakes, etc., and depicted the magnificent landscape and prosperity of the Tarim River.

At the beginning of the last century, the Swedish explorer Sven Hedin also witnessed the beauty and richness of the Tarim River, and also described the scene of the Tarim River in detail in the book "The Great Desert". These historical records allow us to see the glory and charm of the Tarim River, and also let us feel the changes and decline of the Tarim River.

Since the fifties of the last century, the population of the Tarim River basin has shown a rapid growth trend, from 5 million in 1953 to 12 million in 2010, an increase of 14 times. The increase in population has led to an increase in the demand for water resources, especially for agriculture. Agriculture is the main industry in the Tarim River Basin, accounting for more than 90% of water consumption.

In order to meet the demand for agricultural water, a large number of water conservancy projects have been built in the upper and middle reaches of the Tarim River, and a large amount of water has been intercepted or dispersed, resulting in a significant reduction in the amount of water in the downstream rivers.

In addition, since the fifties of the last century, the climate of the Tarim River basin has also undergone significant changes, the temperature has risen, the precipitation has decreased, and the evaporation has increased, which has brought disasters to the Tarim River, and the superposition of human activities and natural factors eventually led to the interruption of the Tarim River.

From the completion of the Daxihaizi Reservoir in 1972 to the first water transfer of the Tarim River in 2000, the water level of the lower reaches of the Tarim River has been declining, from the initial 15 meters down to 03 meters, the width of the river channel has been reduced from the initial 100 meters to 10 meters, the length of the river channel has been shortened from the initial 320 kilometers to 180 kilometers, and the area of the river channel has reached 140,000 square kilometers.

The terminus of the Tarim River is Lop Nur, an ancient inland lake that was once an important post on the Silk Road and an important wetland in the Tarim River Basin. Due to the interruption of the Tarim River, the water level of Lop Nur has been declining, from the highest 1,156 meters to 1,139 meters, the lake area has shrunk from the largest 5,000 square kilometers to 200 square kilometers, the lake water volume has decreased from a maximum of 30 billion cubic meters to 1 billion cubic meters, the water quality of the lake has changed from the best fresh water to salt water, and the lake ecosystem has changed from the most abundant diversity to a single one.

According to statistics, from 1972 to 2000, the area of death of poplar forests in the lower reaches of the Tarim River reached 150,000 hectares, accounting for 40% of the total area, and the area of reeds dying reached 250,000 hectares, or 50% of the total area.

In order to save the ecological environment of the Tarim River Basin, China has adopted a series of comprehensive management measures. As early as 1976, the Chinese Academy of Sciences organized a comprehensive investigation of the Tarim River Basin, and put forward the management idea of "using water to transfer sand and sand to nourish forests".

In 2001, the Tarim River Basin Comprehensive Management Plan was approved, which determined the governance principle of "ecology-oriented, water-oriented, water-based, water-based, supplemented by sand control".

From 2000 to 2018, China has implemented four ecological water transfer projects, delivering a total of about 6 billion cubic meters of water to the lower reaches of the Tarim River, injecting water of life into rivers and lakes.

In addition, China has also invested 28.4 billion yuan in the construction of water conservancy projects, the project of harnessing small and medium-sized rivers, and the project of returning farmland to forests, which have effectively regulated and controlled the distribution of water resources in river basins, improved desert forests along rivers, and ensured the production and livelihood of people downstream. After years of comprehensive management, remarkable results have been achieved in the management of the ecological environment in the Tarim River Basin. The most intuitive change is that Lake Taitema in the lower reaches of the Tarim River has gone from drying up to revival, from a stagnant pond to a living lake.

The area of the lake increased from 0. in 20015 square kilometers increased to 13 in 20185 square kilometers, the depth of the lake from 2001 to 05 meters increased to 3 in 20185 meters.

At the same time, the water level of the downstream river has also risen significantly, the vegetation species on both sides of the river have increased from 17 to 46 species, the natural vegetation has been restored to 1.05 million mu, the sandy land has been reduced by 300,000 mu, and the animal and plant species have gradually recovered. These results have not only improved and beautified the local ecological environment, but also created favorable conditions for local economic development and social stability.

The Tarim River is the mother river of Xinjiang and the largest inland river in China. The quality of its ecological environment has a bearing on Xinjiang's survival and development, as well as on the country's security and interests. In order to control the ecological deterioration of the Tarim River, China has made great efforts and funds and achieved gratifying results. However, the ecological environment of the Tarim River is far from being restored to the best state in history, and we cannot be satisfied with temporary achievements, nor can we give up because of temporary difficulties, so that the Tarim River will always flow with clear water, and the banks of the Tarim River will always be full of green.

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