(Observation of the Two Sessions) How does the "Kidney of the Yangtze River" Dongting Lake District achieve dual "recovery" of ecological economy?

　　China News Service, Beijing, March 8 (Fu Jingyi) Dongting Lake is the only lake that flows through the Yangtze River. Its unique hydro-climatic conditions and geographical location have established its status as an important flood storage site in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and an internationally important wetland. .

In recent years, China has attached great importance to and supported the governance of Dongting Lake. However, how to realize mutual promotion and joint development of ecological protection and economic development, the Dongting Lake area is still constantly breaking the question.

　　"The fundamental problem of siltation and shrinking of Dongting Lake still exists. It is urgent to implement ecological dredging, build a comprehensive hub in conjunction with the Chenglingji exit, manage the 'water-filled basin', and systematically manage and revive Dongting Lake." Huang Lanxiang, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, was the first proposer. Nearly ten members of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, including Li Weiwei, He Baoxiang, and Pan Biling, jointly submitted a proposal to restore the ecological environment of Dongting Lake.

Data map: The Hualong Wharf in the East Dongting Lake Wetland, the reeds and the clear water of a river contrast with each other.

Photo by Fu Jingyi

　　Affected by natural evolution, especially sediment deposition, Dongting Lake has gradually shrunk.

According to statistical analysis, from 1951 to 2002, the average annual deposition of sediment in Dongting Lake was 120 million tons, and the total deposition volume exceeded 6.2 billion tons, occupying about 4.5 billion cubic meters of lake capacity, and the average deposition thickness was over 2 meters.

As a result, problems such as weakened regulation and storage capacity, ecological decline of wetlands, and insufficient water conservation have been brought about.

　　Pan Biling, member of the Standing Committee of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and deputy director of the Hunan Provincial Department of Ecology and Environment, said that in recent years, Hunan has continued to strengthen the ecological and environmental protection of Dongting Lake with the support of the state, and the environment has been significantly improved.

During the "Thirteenth Five-Year Plan" period, the total phosphorus concentration in Dongting Lake will drop by 43.8%. In 2021, the overall water quality will be improved from Class V in 2015 to Class IV. Except for total phosphorus, all other evaluation indicators will reach or be better than Class III.

　　"When the Three Gorges Project was completed and put into operation in 2003, Dongting Lake changed from siltation to micro-scouring, which also created conditions for dredging and recovering Dongting Lake." The proposal believes that the implementation of ecological dredging of Dongting Lake can connect the east, south and west Dongting Lake wetlands into a whole. , to improve the quality of the Dongting Lake ecosystem and the overall benefits of the wetland, while expanding the storage capacity of Dongting Lake to ensure the safety of flood control in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River.

　　Not only that, Dongting Lake ecological dredging can also consolidate the water source and people's livelihood security. From September to October, it can replenish more than 3 billion cubic meters of water in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, providing water resources support for the green development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt and the integration strategy of the Yangtze River Delta.

At the same time, it can increase the water depth of the Dongting Lake waterway during the dry period, build a golden waterway for shipping, and collect the kinetic energy of economic cycle development.

　　However, the proposal also pointed out that there are many ecologically sensitive areas such as the Dongting Lake Nature Reserve, the ecological protection red line covers almost all lake waters, and the ecological dredging range inevitably overlaps with the ecological protection red line. Study the project plan, and start the construction during the "14th Five-Year Plan" period.

　　"From the traditional 'reliance on water to draft water' to 'reliance on water to protect water', economic development is also facing pains." Xu Yunbo, a deputy to the National People's Congress who has been concerned about Dongting Lake for many years and deputy chairman of the Finance and Economic Committee of the Hunan Provincial People's Congress, said that papermaking, illegal farming, Illegal sand mining and other traditional industries have been withdrawn in a concentrated manner, and fishing has been banned and withdrawn in key waters of the Yangtze River basin, increasing the pressure on people to increase employment and income.

　　Green development is the fundamental way to solve environmental problems. In the "Battle to Protect the Ecological Environment of Dongting Lake", Hunan insisted on walking steadily on environmental protection and developing a "balance beam", striving to achieve economic and ecological "two-legged" walking.

In recent years, through the implementation of five major actions for comprehensive management of the Dongting Lake water environment and the three-year action plan for the special rectification of the ecological environment, the environmental quality of the Dongting Lake area has been significantly improved, with the total GDP accounting for a quarter of Hunan, and the momentum and quality of economic growth have been further improved.

　　During the two sessions this year, the Hunan delegation intends to put forward the "Suggestions on Further Supporting the Construction of Dongting Lake Ecological Economic Zone" in the name of the delegation, hoping that the relevant state departments will guide and approve the "Dongting Lake Ecological Economic Zone in the New Era" jointly compiled by Hunan and Hubei provinces. Plan", and give key support to major projects within the plan.

At the same time, Dongting Lake will be included in the national comprehensive ecological compensation pilot scope, a long-term mechanism for the protection and management of Dongting Lake will be established, and an ecological compensation mechanism in the Yangtze River Basin will be established as a whole.

　　The proposal also proposes that Hunan, Hubei and Jiangxi provinces establish an ecological compensation mechanism for the Yangtze River and Dongting Lake basins with regional linkage, division of labor and cooperation, and sharing of achievements, coordinate the establishment of a joint prevention and control mechanism for sudden water pollution incidents in inter-provincial river basins, and guide and support the establishment of Dongting Lake. The emission rights trading system in the lake basin will jointly promote the restoration of ecological environment protection in the Yangtze River Economic Belt.

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