Predicaments of Grassland Ecological Migration and Sustainable

Development of Three River Sources

Shi Hui

School of Finance and Economics, Qinghai University, Xining, Qinghai, 810000, China

Keywords: Three River Sources, Ecological Migration, Predicament, Sustainable Development.

Abstract: As a huge project of the world, grassland ecological migration of three river sources has officially been

started since 2005. Although now the project has made obvious achievements, there are many predicaments

in its concrete implementation process. Meanwhile, related follow-up issues have gradually emerged at the

present stage of immigrant. This work briefly analyzes the predicament of grassland ecological migration

and sustainable development in three river sources in order to make profound understanding of the

migration project.

1 INTRODUCTION

Three-river source area is located in the southern

part of Qinghai Province, adjacent to Szechwan,

Tibet and Qinghai. Known as a virgin land, it is one

treasured area with rich product reserve in the world.

However, the increase of its utilization by humans

has caused destruction of ecological environment

such as the decreasing amount of forage grass and

destroyed biological habitats. In 2000, three river

sources were officially added to the list of nature

reserves with erection of monuments. Facing the

worsening ecological environment, China promoted

the grassland ecological migration project of three-

river source area that has attracted global attention

since its official implementation in 2005.

2 BACKGROUND OF

GRASSLAND ECOLOGICAL

MIGRATION OF THREE

RIVER SOURCES

There is a direct relationship between grassland

ecological migration and the present condition of

three river sources. With relative fragility, ecological

environment deterioration of three river sources can

be easily caused by any destruction of ecological

system. The increases of utilization and use scale

and scope have led to serious grassland pollution in

three river sources. It endangers inherent ecological

system as well as environment of surrounding areas,

causing frequent natural disasters such as land

desertification and soil erosion. Under this

circumstance, grassland ecological migration project

is promoted for the governance of grassland

environment in three river sources. The background

of migration lines in the following aspects:

2.1 Increasing Soil Erosion

As the primary reflection of hostile ecological

environment, obvious soil erosion has emerged due

to vegetation deterioration and improper utilization

patterns of grasslands in three river sources. The

area of soil erosion accounts for over ten percent of

the total area of three-river source area (302.5

thousand square kilometers). Varying degrees of soil

erosion in drainage basins (e.g. Yangtze River,

Lancang River and Yellow River) have caused

shrinks of land areas and decline of land utilization.

Facing serious soil erosion, grassland ecological

migration has to orderly proceed for further

reforestation of arable land, protection of steppe

vegetation and the sustainable development of three

river sources.

2.2 Serious Wetland Degradation

As the storage of water and nutrients, wetlands are

ideal locations of vegetation growth and multiply.

However, serious wetland degradation is another

issue caused by the destruction of ecological

environment in three-river source areas. The loss of

263

Hui S.

Predicaments of Grassland Ecological Migration and Sustainable Development of Three River Sources.

DOI: 10.5220/0006023802630266

In Proceedings of the Information Science and Management Engineering III (ISME 2015), pages 263-266

ISBN: 978-989-758-163-2

263

these wetlands leads to the failure of inherent

storage capacity in swamps, which undoubtedly is a

major disadvantage for three-river source areas. To a

large extent, it impeded the grassland development

of three river sources. Meanwhile, due to short

supply and lack of nutrients, vegetation has been

close to death. Serious wetland degradation has been

a huge threat to three-river source areas, forcing

humans to take measures to stop its development.

2.3 Pest Invasion

For grasslands of three river sources, its hostile

ecological environment has decreased resistance

ability against outside. Increasing amount of weeds

caused rapid reduction in areas of utilizable grass.

Meanwhile, the invasion of natural enemy rodents

also led to the sharp decline of grasslands due to

their consumption and destruction. Caterpillars, in

addition, are responsible for large bare lands

presented in several areas. Pest invasion

undoubtedly worsens the already weak grassland

situation of three river sources, which accelerates

sharp reduction of grasslands and destruction of

ecological environment.

2.4 Degeneration of Ecological System

Various rare animals lived on grasslands have

positive significance in sustainable grassland

multiply of three river sources. However, due to

hunting of animals by humans, the amount of rare

animals sharply declines, including white-lipped

deer, blue sheep and Tibetan gazelles. This has

brought a critical strike to sustainable grassland

development of three river sources.

Three-river source areas are faced with

phenomena such as biological system degeneration,

pest invasion, wetland degradation and soil erosion.

Therefore, ecological migration is necessary for

grasslands of three river sources in order to promote

its sustainable development of ecological system and

recovery of ecological environment.

3 PREDICAMENT OF

GRASSLAND ECOLOGICAL

MIGRATION OF THREE

RIVER SOURCES

With increasingly serious destruction of ecological

system and environment, well multiply of grasslands

has become an important issue in three-river source

areas at present. Therefore, it is necessary to carry

out ecological migration project. In the process,

however, several predicaments are required to be

broken through for smooth project implementation.

Currently, the unsolved issues in ecological

migration mainly lines in the following aspects:

3.1 Mass Misconception

Due to the lack of the cognition to ecological

migration and environmental protection, resistance

and reactionary aspect emerge in implementation

process, which is undoubtedly a predicament of

grassland ecological migration in three-river source

areas. The concept of ecological environmental

protection lacks sufficient publicity in most areas of

China. Many people are just limited in knowing or

verbal recognition of it. When there are conflicts

between ecological environment and personal

interests, opposite voice of the project becomes

louder. Therefore, for the large long-term migration

project, only correct mass conception can

fundamentally solve the issue and guarantee the

project implementation.

3.2 Mass with Low Quality

Grassland ecological migration project of three river

sources has to guarantee the recovery of ecological

environment and the basic living of immigrants as

well as the development of immigration areas.

However, for people living in three-river source

areas, most of them are herdsmen with limited

education currently. Many families do not support

children to receive education, and some even take

measures to evade education. Failure of education

and teaching work has led to relatively low quality

and limited skills of people in the areas. Meanwhile,

without other labor skills, re-employment of local

people is unable to be effectively arranged. Narrow

channels for employment have made negative

effects on the development of local politics,

economy and culture.

3.3 Cultural Difference

As localities of minorities since ancient times, three-

river source areas have created own unique culture

that is different from other areas. The cultural

difference is quite unfavourable to local migration

work and has become an important issue in

migration process. Grassland ecological migration

project of three river sources includes the transfer of

people as well as culture (e.g. material culture,

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immaterial culture and food environment). In the

process, many immigrants to other cities have shown

cultural maladjustment and exclusion.

3.4 Choices of Migration Patterns

Current optional migration patterns of ecological

migration in three-river source areas mainly include

regional migration and small-town resettlement.

However, based on local immigrant condition, these

patterns have exposed different issues. For instance,

though small-town centralized settlement is

beneficial for infrastructure construction and

economy development, most people still hardly

support and even exclude such migration patterns.

3.5 Subsequent Guarantee

The smooth migration implementation of people in

three-river source areas requires subsequent

guarantee of employment, education and medical

treatment after migration. Meanwhile, life style of

residents in immigration areas requires proper

adjustment for the promotion of migration work.

However, with dissatisfaction of subsequent

guarantee, many immigrants still fail to adapt to

their new life and production mode at present.

4 SUSTAINABLE

DEVELOPMENT OF

GRASSLAND ECOLOGICAL

MIGRATION OF THREE

RIVER SOURCES

Essentially, grassland ecological migration of three

river sources is a huge project with broad scope of

influence. It has positive effects on ecological

protection, restoration and environmental

development of grasslands in three-river source

areas. Currently, part of ecological migration has

been carried out, while sustainable development fails

to be implemented in the process. Therefore, it is

necessary to analyze the sustainable development of

grassland ecological migration of three river sources.

4.1 Cognition Promotion

As localities of minorities all the time, three-river

source areas have relatively old life and production

mode. People’s traditions and ambiguous cognition

of natural ecological environment contributed to the

deterioration of local ecological environment.

Therefore, faced with current serious environmental

destruction, further cognition promotion and

ecological consciousness intensification are required

for rational utilization and effective protection of

local grassland ecological environment. Meanwhile,

positive cooperation of local people in ecological

migration will provide a certain period of time for

ecological environmental restoration of grassland

areas.

4.2 Establishment of Harmonious

Relationship between Human and

Nature

Harmony between human and nature is the key to

the development of social development and nature.

Harmonious relationship between human and nature

is beneficial for ecological environmental restoration

of grasslands. However, cases such as conflict,

objection and even improper behavior emerged in

grassland ecological migration of three river sources.

Therefore, promotion of populace quality and

harmonious relationship between human and nature

are both required for final realization of population

decline, emission reduction and pressure reduction.

4.3 Policy Support

Policy support of government is the basic guarantee

of grassland ecological migration of three river

sources. Migration project has to take the restoration

of ecological system and new life of immigrants into

consideration. Meanwhile, based on living

standards, corresponding compensation mechanism

has to be established for financial compensation of

immigrants. Solid foundation of material life for

immigrants is required for long-term development.

In addition, government support of cultural

education has to increase, especially in the

perfection of organizations of medical treatment,

health and education. Finally, immigrants are

rationally resettled without worries behind.

4.4 Establishment of Perfect Migration

Policies

In the ecological migration process, perfect

migration policies will guarantee grassland

sustainable development and provide policy support

for grassland ecological development. Meanwhile,

several measures are required, such as strict use

limits of grasslands, prevention of excessive

deforestation and protection of water and vegetation.

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4.5 Perfection of Legal Supervision and

Protection

Perfection of legal supervision and protection is an

important measure for the promotion of grassland

ecological migration of three river sources. Firstly,

legal framework relies on the perfection of

Grassland Law and Environmental Protection Law.

Secondly, publicity and popularization of legal

knowledge are required in order to make the masses

comprehend legal restraints and consciously perform

legal obligations. In addition, when there are

behaviors endangering ecological environment and

natural environment, strict enforcement of law is

needed for the alert and constraint of mass

behaviors.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The work was supported by 2014 National Social

Science Fund Project (14CGL028): Research on

Urbanization and Social Adaptability of Ecological

Migration of Three River Sources; 2013 Qinghai

University Middle-aged and Young Social Science

Fund Project (2013-QSY-6): Research on

Management Mode of Ecological Migration of

Three River Sources.

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