It was the people of Sudbury who got together to do something about their terrible, polluted environment. It was the government in China, with support of the World Bank, that organized the people of the Loess Plateau to change things. My friend John Liu, in Beijing, has talked to me for hours about this truly amazing story—a story that provides hope for the other very large and very degraded ecosystems in China. This project was undertaken to improve the environment for the people, although part of the plan involves restoring and preserving biodiversity. And as we have seen, when people are lifted out of poverty and learn a new understanding of their wildlife heritage, they are much more likely to help with conservation issues. It’s an inspiring drama, still unrolling, but already the vision and hard work of the massive Loess Plateau Watershed Rehabilitation Project is lifting countless people out of poverty and addressing many serious ecological problems.
The Loess Plateau is the original birthplace of the Chinese people and home of its ancient civilization. It stretches across parts of seven northwestern Chinese provinces; in all it covers 250,000 square miles—approximately the size of France. It is home to about ninety million people who have, for many long years, been trapped in a vicious cycle of poverty and environmental destruction that only got worse as time went on. For years, the Loess Plateau was considered to be the most eroded place on earth. Its gradual destruction illustrates a recurring theme—how people unwittingly destroy the very land upon which they depend for sustenance. Until, at the worst, it may lead to the collapse of a whole ecosystem.
The story follows a familiar pattern—first, cutting the trees for building and firewood, and to create additional land for the growing of crops. As the land lost its fertility, the villagers let their goats and sheep loose to find what little sustenance they could—until the slopes were bare. No longer could this arid expanse retain the water when it rained, and as much as 95 percent of the ten to thirty-two inches of rain that falls annually simply ran off, causing ever more erosion. And so the cycle continued, and poverty, hunger, disease increased. Until the land was utterly devastated and the people living without hope.
But against all odds, hope has been restored to them: In just ten years of hard work, the entire area has been transformed. John has been back once a year for the past ten years to film this extraordinary transformation. It all began when the government made the decision to restore the vegetation of the Loess Plateau. It seemed a crazy idea. John has shown me film of an old farmer, whom he interviewed at the start of the program, and who simply could not believe that anything could be done. “But if they tell me to plant trees, then I will plant trees,” he said, shaking his head at the absurdity of the thought that a tree could grow on the bare slopes.
It was a project initiated by the Chinese government and supported by the World Bank. The planning was thorough, lasting for more than three years and involving teams of government officials, external consultants, and community members. The necessary interventions were planned systematically. Everything was surveyed and analyzed—the water patterns, soil composition, biodiversity, agricultural practices, economics, and culture. At the end of the three years, it had been decided that there would have to be clear distinction between land set aside for human use and land that would be most valuable set aside to ensure, for example, protection of the watershed, soil stability, carbon sequestration, and biodiversity.
A massive public education program was launched to share the results of the deliberations and decisions of the team. And then the various components of the plan were put in place. One of the first actions was to build small dams that would hold water for use, locally, throughout the year, and great emphasis was placed on sustainable use of this most precious asset. Simultaneously, the local people were employed in massive efforts to terrace the steep slopes to control the soil erosion they had caused by trying to cultivate there. The most suitable farming methods and crops were introduced. Tree cutting, planting on slopes, and unrestricted grazing of goats and sheep were banned. Vast tracts were planted with grasses, bushes, and trees. In areas where the desert was encroaching, active dune stabilization measures were undertaken. As the soil erosion was controlled and fertility began to return to the soil, orchards and vineyards provided new high-income crops. Fodder was grown to feed the herds that were no longer roaming the slopes. Fields have become more productive, and the ecological lands have begun to regenerate. The only negative is the amount of chemical fertilizers and pesticides that were used, although efforts are being made now to farm in a more organic, sustainable way.
The transformation of the Loess Plateau has been dramatic. Already it is apparent that the hundreds of millions of dollars that have been spent were a wise investment. The local people’s income has quadrupled, and land tenure and continued maintenance are assured by long-term land-use contracts that deed the reconstructed economic lands, and the income that would be derived from them, to the local people. A sense of hopelessness has been replaced by cautious optimism. Young people now expect an education and a future. Strong visible evidence is emerging that by involving local people in integrated programs, it is possible to restore large-scale damaged ecosystems.
And with China’s growing awareness of the need to protect areas of the country for the protection of wildlife, how wonderful if the ecological land that has been set aside could provide a refuge for reintroducing endangered species—rescuing them from the brink of extinction that many currently face.
