FLOOD OF YANTZE RIVER AND ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION
长江洪水与生态建设

Extremely heavy flood of Yantze River in 1998 has caused great damage and concern of the whole country. This paper intents to give a general analysis about the causes of the flood and the strategy for restoration of degraded ecosystems. It was discovered that the flood of 1998 was caused both by natural factors as well as by unreasonable human activities including deforestation, overgrazing, slope cultivation,reclamation of lake for agricultural cultivation etc. A series of measures for ecological restoration were suggested. These include to: carry out integrated survey and assessment of land cover and land use in the watershed of the Yantze River; establish plan for ecological restoration under the general framework of sustainable development of the watershed; restoration of ecosystems by preservation of natural forest in the upper reaches of the river; closing hills for natural regeneration; conduct establish sheltbelt systems, development of non wood production, develop animal husbandry in high altitude, dry habitat, and difficult for afforestation areas etc.