Introduction
Materials and Methods
General Background to Western China
Brief Description of the GWDS and Its Decision-Making Framework
Procedure of the SEA
Methods Used in the SEA
Environ. indicators | Current situation | Future scenario | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Grades | Standards for determining the grades | Trends | Criteria for predicting the trends | |
Water resource availability (WRA) | I | Use rate is less than 10%. | ↗ | Use rate is likely to decrease |
II | Use rate is between 10 and 40% | → | Use rate is likely to be stable | |
III | Use rate is over 40% | ↘ | Use rate is likely to increase | |
Soil erosion (SE) | I | This value is determined mainly by expert judgments and from literature surveys | ↗ | The level of soil erosion is likely to decrease |
II | → | The level of soil erosion is likely to be stable | ||
III | ↘ | The level of soil erosion is likely to increase | ||
Soil salinizationa (SS) | I | Favorable reclamation quality with the value between 0.5 and 1.0, except in IMR where the values are between 0.1 and 0.3 | ↗ | Level of salinization is likely to decline |
II | Impaired reclamation quality with the value between 1.0 and 1.5, except in IMR where the values are between 0.3 and 0.7 | → | Level of salinization is likely to be stable | |
III | Poor reclamation quality with the value between 1.5 and 2.0, except in IMR where the values are between 0.7 and 1.0 | ↘ | Level of salinization is likely to increase | |
LD | I | No desertification | ↗ | State remains without this problem. |
II | Vegetation coverage is over 30% | → | Level of desertification is likely to be stable | |
Sand movement is less prominent | ||||
Land surface covered by basically stable dunes | ||||
IIb
| Vegetation coverage is between 10 and 30% with more than 750 individual trees or bushes per hectare on average | |||
Sand drift is controlled by plant communities, but sand movement ripples are prevailing on the dunes | ||||
III | Vegetation coverage is less than 10% | ↘ | Level of desertification is likely to be raised | |
Mobile sand sheets and the denuded dune areas are inter-distributed | ||||
Sand dunes are stabilized with non-biological measures | ||||
Forest destruction (FD) | I | Very good quality, with intact primary forests | ↗ | Forest quality is likely to improve |
II | Good quality, with threats requiring control | → | Forest quality is likely to be stable | |
III | Poor quality, with widespread losses of primary and mature forests | ↘ | Forest quality is likely to worsen | |
Water quality (WQ) | I | Annual average of WQ of the main rivers in a western province or municipality or autonomous region is level I or II measured by the CNSWQSc
| ↗ | The WQ of main rivers is likely to improve |
II | Annual average of WQ of the main rivers in a western province or municipality or autonomous region is level III or IV measured by the CNSWQS | → | The WQ of main rivers is likely to be stable | |
III | Annual average of WQ of the main rivers in a western province or municipality or autonomous region is level V or below measured by the CNSWQS | ↘ | The WQ of main rivers is likely to worsen | |
Air quality (AQ) | I | Annual average of APId of the capital city in a western province or municipality or autonomous region is ≤50 | ↗ | The AQ is likely to improve |
II | Annual average of API of the capital city in a western province or municipality or autonomous region is 50 < API ≤ 100 | → | The AQ is likely to be stable | |
III | Annual average of API of the capital city in a western province or municipality or autonomous region is >100 | ↘ | The AQ is likely to worsen | |
Biological diversity (BD) | I | The value is determined through expert judgment | ↗ | Species abundance/eco-services are likely to increase |
II | → | Species abundance/eco-services are likely to be stable | ||
III | ↘ | Species abundance/eco-services are likely to decline |
Process and Findings of the Assessment
Identifying the KDDs of GWDS
Water Resource Exploitation and Use
Land Utilization
Energy Generation
Ecological Rehabilitation and Conservation
Tourism Development
Investigating Environmental Baseline of Western China
Sub-regions | Provinces | Population (million) | Land area (thousands of km2) | Water resources | Nature reserves | Forest | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Amount (km3) | Per capita (m3) | Number | Area (km2) | Area (km2) | Coverage rate (%) | ||||
SW | CQM | 31.3 | 82.4 | 59.1 | 1,887 | 46 | 8,660 | 22,363 | 27.14 |
SCP | 87.0 | 485.0 | 259.0 | 2,977 | 120 | 70,770 | 135,510 | 27.94 | |
GZP | 38.7 | 141.0 | 915.6 | 23,658 | 107 | 8,090 | 36,731 | 26.05 | |
YNP | 43.7 | 394.0 | 169.9 | 3,889 | 186 | 35,500 | 128,732 | 32.67 | |
GXR | 48.6 | 236.7 | 190.1 | 3,912 | 67 | 14,810 | 81,666 | 34.50 | |
Sub-total | 249.3 | 1339.1 | 1593.6 | 6,392 | 526 | 137,830 | 405002 | 30.24 | |
NW | SXP | 36.9 | 205.8 | 57.5 | 1,557 | 32 | 70,770 | 59,203 | 28.77 |
GSP | 26.0 | 454.4 | 24.7 | 951 | 47 | 87,860 | 21,741 | 4.78 | |
NXR | 5.8 | 66.4 | 1.2 | 212 | 12 | 4,920 | 1,464 | 2.20 | |
XJR | 19.3 | 1660.0 | 92.0 | 4,767 | 26 | 215,290 | 17,837 | 1.07 | |
IMR | 23.8 | 1183.0 | 49.6 | 2,082 | 183 | 148,900 | 147,485 | 12.47 | |
Sub-total | 111.8 | 3569.6 | 225.0 | 2,012 | 300 | 527,740 | 247730 | 6.94 | |
QT | QHP | 5.3 | 722.3 | 63.5 | 11,975 | 8 | 206,080 | 3,088 | 0.43 |
TAR | 2.7 | 1220.0 | 475.7 | 176,189 | 15 | 408,730 | 40,815 | 3.35 | |
Sub-total | 8.0 | 1942.3 | 539.2 | 67,398 | 23 | 614,810 | 43903 | 2.26 | |
Total for entire western region | 369.1 | 6851.1 | 2357.8 | 6,388 | 849 | 1,280,380 | 671,777 | 10.17 |
Evaluating the Overall Ecological Quality
Water Shortage and Over-Exploitation
-
SW sub-region: Water resources are relatively abundant; however, in karst landscapes (high mountains and deep valleys) it is difficult to construct irrigation facilities and to utilize abundant runoff water.
-
NW sub-region: This area suffers from very severe water deficiencies, annual precipitation is less than 400 mm. The use of water, especially for irrigation, has increased over the last few decades, even though both surface and groundwater resources are very limited. As a result, groundwater resources are seriously over-exploited, which has, in turn, produced large underground funnels in some areas.
-
QT sub-region: In general, there is no water shortage in the high plateau, and WQ is good, especially in Tibet. However, in recent years human activities, such as the building of dams, have led to a lowering of the water table, a shrinking of water levels in lakes and a drying up of some wetland areas.
Land Degradation
Forest Deterioration
Environmental Pollution
Loss of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services
Investigating the Environmental Problems at the Provincial Level
Sub- regions | Province, municipality, autonomous region | Environmental indicators | Environmental baseline levels |
---|---|---|---|
SW | CQM | Overall status | The ecological quality is good as a whole |
WRA | 1,887 m3 per capita. Yangtze and Jialing rivers provide abundant water resources | ||
SE | Soil erosion occurs in as much as 44% of the total area | ||
SS | No soil salinization problem | ||
LD | Desertification is low, occurring in less than 2.0% of the total area | ||
FD | Forest cover is 36%, on average, of the total area, and is quite stable | ||
WQ/AQ | Urban sprawl causes serious air and water pollution in the area | ||
BD | 46 nature reserves, with a total area of 8,660 km2, status is good. | ||
SCP | Overall status | The ecological quality is fairly good as a whole | |
WRA | 258,980 million m3 of water resources and 2,977 m3 per capita | ||
SE | 40% of the land (194,000 km2) is prone to erosion. Soil & water loss occurs in around 44% of the total area | ||
SS | No salinization problem as a whole | ||
LD | The soil quality is good, with a lower desertification rate | ||
FD | Forest cover is 23.5% of the total area, with an annual growth rate of 2% | ||
WQ/AQ | High pollution levels with annual COD and SO2 emissions of 0.94 and 1.2 million tons, respectively | ||
BD | Good biodiversity with 120 nature reserves, with a total area of 70,770 km2
| ||
GZP | Overall status | The ecological quality is not good as a whole | |
WRA | The river network density is very high, with 23,658 m3 water resources per capita, on average | ||
SE | The losses of water and soil are severe, with soil erosion occurring in 44%, on average, of the total area | ||
SS | No salinization problem | ||
LD | Poor soil quality with slight rocky desertification | ||
FD | Forest cover is 20.8% of the total area totaling 36,731 km2, and the annual growth rate is about 5%, on average | ||
WQ/AQ | The AQ is poor in cities, with the largest SO2 emission of 1.45 million tons among all of the provinces in western China | ||
BD | Abundant biodiversity with 107 nature reserves, with an area of 8,090 km2, but biodiversity loss is a depressing problem | ||
YNP | Overall status | The ecological quality is good | |
WRA | It is rich in water resources, with a total volume of 169,940 million m3. The per capita level is 3,889 m3
| ||
SE | The soil and water loss occurs in as much as 37% of the total area | ||
SS | No salinization problem as a whole | ||
LD | The desertification occurs in merely 0.2% of the total area | ||
FD | Has the highest level of vegetation cover among the western provinces. The forest cover is 34% of the total area, and is increasing by 3% annually | ||
WQ/AQ | Relatively low emission loads to the water and air environments | ||
BD | Abundant biodiversity with 186 nature reserves, with a total area of 35,500 km2
| ||
GXR | Overall status | The ecological quality is fairly good | |
WRA | Abundant water resources with a per capita level of 3,912 m3
| ||
SE | The water and soil loss occurs in only 5% of the total area | ||
SS | Soil salinization occurs in 4.7%, on average, of the total area | ||
LD | The desertification occurs in merely 1% of the total area | ||
FD | The forest cover is 34.3% of the total area, and is increasing by 5% annually | ||
WQ/AQ | The discharge per unit GDP is relatively high | ||
BD | Good biodiversity with 67 nature reserves, with an area of 14,810 km2 in total | ||
NW. | SXP | Overall status | The ecological quality is poor as a whole |
WRA | The available water resources are limited, with only 57,460 million m3 in total. The per capita level is 1,557 m3
| ||
SE | The soil and water loss occurs in as much as 64% of the total area | ||
SS | The soil salinization occurs in over 1.7% of the total area | ||
LD | The desertification occurs in 7.1%, on average, of the total area | ||
FD | The forest cover is 28.7% of the total area, and is increasing by 2.3% annually | ||
WQ/AQ | The discharge of wastewater is increasing. Air pollution is also a serious problem in some cities | ||
BD | Moderate biodiversity with 32 nature reserves, with a total area of 70,770 km2
| ||
GSP | Overall status | The ecological quality is poor as a whole | |
WRA | The available water resources are rather limited, with a per capita level of 951 m3
| ||
SE | Has already become a serious problem | ||
SS | The soil salinization occurs in over 2.3% of the total area | ||
LD | The desertification occurs in as much as 55% of the total area, with the Hexi Corridor the worst case in China | ||
FD | The forest cover is as low as 4.8%, with a total area of only 21,741 km2
| ||
WQ/AQ | The water and dust pollution is very serious | ||
BD | Relatively poor biodiversity with only 47 nature reserves, with a total area of 87,860 km2
| ||
NXR | Overall status | The ecological quality is fragile and becoming worse | |
WRA | Scarce water resources with a total volume of 1,230 million m3. The per capita level is only 212 m3
| ||
SE | Is a rather serious problem | ||
SS | The soil salinization occurs in over 5.8% of the total area | ||
LD | The area of desertificated land is growing slowly | ||
FD | The forest cover is about 2.2% of the total area, and is increasing by 2% annually | ||
WQ/AQ | The environmental quality of water and air is, as a whole, at a good level | ||
BD | Relatively poor biodiversity with only 12 nature reserves, with a total area of 4,920 km2
| ||
XJR | Overall status | The ecological quality is not good as a whole | |
WRA | Water resources are limited in terms of total volume, but the per capita level is 4,767 m3
| ||
SE | The problem of water and soil loss is very serious | ||
SS | The soil salinization occurs in as much as 8.0% of the total area, which is the highest in China | ||
LD | Has already become a serious problem | ||
FD | The forest cover is merely 1.1% of the total area, and is increasing by 1.8% annually | ||
WQ/AQ | The environmental quality of air and water is good as a whole | ||
BD | Acceptable biodiversity level with 26 nature reserves, with a total area of 215,290 km2
| ||
IMR | Overall status | The ecological quality is not good as a whole | |
WRA | Lack of water resources as a whole, the per capita level is 2,082 m3
| ||
SE | The water and soil loss occurs in as much as 72% of the total area | ||
SS | The soil salinization occurs in about 6.4% of the total area | ||
LD | The desertification occurs in 30%, on average, of the total area | ||
FD | The vegetation cover is 74% of the total area, and the forest cover is only 12.7%, with an increasing rate of 0.5% per year | ||
WQ/AQ | Air quality is good, and the WQ is poor | ||
BD | Biodiversity loss is becoming a problem. This region has 183 nature reserves, with a total area of 148,900 km2. | ||
QT | QHP | Overall status | The ecological quality is not good as a whole |
WRA | 63,470 million m3 of water resources and 11,975 m3 per capita | ||
SE | Extensive degradation of grassland is a problem | ||
SS | The soil salinization occurs in about 3.2% of the total area | ||
LD | The desertification occurs in 16%, on average, of the total area | ||
FD | The vegetation cover is 59% of the total area, and the forest cover is merely 0.4%, with an increasing rate of 1.5% per year | ||
WQ/AQ | The environmental quality of water and air is good | ||
BD | Vulnerable ecosystems with eight nature reserves, with a total area of 206,080 km2
| ||
TAR | Overall status | The ecological quality is good in a special ecosystem. | |
WRA | Total volume of water resources is 475,710 million m3, and the per capita level is 176,189 m3. | ||
SE | The water and soil loss occurs in as much as 86% of the total area, with an area of 0.9 million km2 because of the freeze-thaw effect | ||
SS | No salinization problem | ||
LD | The desertification occurs in 17%, on average, of the total area, because of the grassland degradation | ||
FD | The forest and grass covers 64.4% of the total area, and has been recently decreasing by 4% annually | ||
WQ/AQ | No air and water pollution as a whole. | ||
BD | The local ecosystem is vulnerable, but largely intact. Fifteen nature reserves of 408,730 km2 in area are distributed throughout the region |
Assessing Environmental Impacts of the KDDs
Water Resource Development Plans
Land Utilization Plans
Energy Generation Plans
Ecological Rehabilitation and Restoration Plans
Tourism Development Plans
Overall Results of the Impact Assessment
WRA | SE | SS | LD | FD | WQ | AQ | BD | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Now | Future | Now | Future | Now | Future | Now | Future | Now | Future | Now | Future | Now | Future | Now | Future | |
SW
| I | ↗ |
III
| ↘ | I | ↗ | I | ↗ |
III
| ↗ |
III
| ↗ |
II
| ↘ |
III
| ↘ |
CQM | II | → | III | ↘ | I | → | I | → | III | ↗ | III | ↗ | III | → | II | ↘ |
SCP | I | ↗ | III | ↘ | I | ↗ | I | → | III | ↗ | II | ↘ | II | ↘ | III | ↗ |
YNP | I | ↗ | III | ↘ | I | ↗ | I | ↗ | III | ↗ | III | ↗ | II | → | III | ↗ |
GZP | I | ↘ | III | ↘ | I | → | I | ↘ | III | ↘ | III | ↗ | III | ↘ | II | ↘ |
GXR | II | ↗ | I | ↘ | I | ↗ | I | → | III | ↘ | II | ↘ | II | ↗ | III | ↘ |
NW
|
III
| ↘ |
III
| ↗ |
III
| ↘ |
III
| ↘ |
III
| ↘ |
II
| ↘ |
II
| ↗ |
II
| ↘ |
SXP | II | ↘ | III | ↗ | III | ↘ | III | ↗ | III | ↗ | II | ↘ | II | ↗ | II | ↘ |
GSP | III | ↘ | III | ↘ | III | ↘ | III | ↘ | III | ↘ | II | ↘ | III | ↗ | II | ↘ |
NXR | III | ↘ | III | ↗ | III | ↘ | III | ↘ | III | ↘ | III | ↗ | III | ↘ | III | → |
XJR | III | ↘ | I | → | III | ↘ | III | → | III | ↗ | I | ↗ | I | → | II | ↗ |
IMR. | II | ↘ | III | ↘ | III | → | III | ↘ | III | ↘ | II | ↘ | I | ↘ | III | ↘ |
QT
| I | → |
II
| ↘ |
II
| → |
III
| → |
II
| ↗ |
I
| ↘ |
I
| → |
I
| ↘ |
TAR | I | → | III | ↘ | I | → | III | → | II | → | I | ↘ | I | → | I | ↘ |
QHP | I | → | I | ↘ | III | → | III | → | II | ↗ | I | ↘ | I | → | II | → |
Recommendations
Policy Suggestions on Transformation of the Western Development
Priority Areas for Mitigation
Sub-regions | Environmental indicators | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
WRA | SE | SS | LD | FD | WQ | AQ | BD | |
SW | (III) ↘ Land/water | (II) ↘ Energy | (III) ↘ Energy/tourism | |||||
NW | (III) ↘ Water/Land/ Energy | (III) ↘ Water/land | (III) ↘ Land/energy | (III) ↘ Land/energy | (II) ↘ Water/energy | (II) ↘ Land/energy | ||
QT | (II) ↘ Land/water |