Building Solid Ecological Barriers
and Promoting the Development
of Ecological Environment
Yulong Sun
1 Getting a Proper Insight into Gansu’s Ecological Status
and Role
Gansu is located at the intersection of the Loess Plateau, the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau,
and the Inner Mongolian Plateau, and within the catchments of the Yangtze River,
the Yellow River and the inland river. It is an important water conservation and
replenishment region for the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers, and also a blocking area
where the Tengger, Badain Jaran and Kumtag Deserts converge and turn southwards. Moreover, Gansu is a strategic channel for the Eurasian Land Bridge, and a
transportation hub linking southwest and northwest China. Therefore, it is strategically important in China’s ecological construction. Building an important ecological
security barrier for the northwest and even the whole country is one of the strategic
definitions for Gansu’s development—a goal that is related to the sustainable development of Gansu’s economy and society, and that will also affect ecological security
across China. All in all, Gansu’s ecological status and role are mainly manifested in
following aspects:
First, Gansu serves as a reservoir for the Yellow and Yangtze Rivers. Gannan
and Longnan have large wetlands, grasslands and forests, and more than 120 main
and tributaries of the Yellow River, Tao River, Daxia River, and Bailong River,
all of which combine to provide irreplaceable ecological adjustment functions of
conserving water and soil. To protect the area’s ecological environment, we should
reduce the sediment and pollutants flowing from the upper reaches to the middle and
lower reaches of the Yellow and Yangtze Rivers.
Second, Gansu is a vital area for water conservation and an ecological barrier.
Its glaciers, forests, grasslands and wetlands provide a solid foundation for water
conservation at the northern foot of the Qilian Mountains, conserving and nurturing
57 rivers, large and small, which collectively constitute the four river systems—Ruo
Y. Sun (B)
Department of Ecology and Environment of Gansu Province, Lanzhou, China
© China Environment Publishing Group Co., Ltd. 2021
J. Pan et al. (eds.), Beautiful China: 70 Years Since 1949 and 70 People’s Views
on Eco-civilization Construction, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-6742-5_75
755
and Promoting the Development
of Ecological Environment
Yulong Sun
1 Getting a Proper Insight into Gansu’s Ecological Status
and Role
Gansu is located at the intersection of the Loess Plateau, the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau,
and the Inner Mongolian Plateau, and within the catchments of the Yangtze River,
the Yellow River and the inland river. It is an important water conservation and
replenishment region for the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers, and also a blocking area
where the Tengger, Badain Jaran and Kumtag Deserts converge and turn southwards. Moreover, Gansu is a strategic channel for the Eurasian Land Bridge, and a
transportation hub linking southwest and northwest China. Therefore, it is strategically important in China’s ecological construction. Building an important ecological
security barrier for the northwest and even the whole country is one of the strategic
definitions for Gansu’s development—a goal that is related to the sustainable development of Gansu’s economy and society, and that will also affect ecological security
across China. All in all, Gansu’s ecological status and role are mainly manifested in
following aspects:
First, Gansu serves as a reservoir for the Yellow and Yangtze Rivers. Gannan
and Longnan have large wetlands, grasslands and forests, and more than 120 main
and tributaries of the Yellow River, Tao River, Daxia River, and Bailong River,
all of which combine to provide irreplaceable ecological adjustment functions of
conserving water and soil. To protect the area’s ecological environment, we should
reduce the sediment and pollutants flowing from the upper reaches to the middle and
lower reaches of the Yellow and Yangtze Rivers.
Second, Gansu is a vital area for water conservation and an ecological barrier.
Its glaciers, forests, grasslands and wetlands provide a solid foundation for water
conservation at the northern foot of the Qilian Mountains, conserving and nurturing
57 rivers, large and small, which collectively constitute the four river systems—Ruo
Y. Sun (B)
Department of Ecology and Environment of Gansu Province, Lanzhou, China
© China Environment Publishing Group Co., Ltd. 2021
J. Pan et al. (eds.), Beautiful China: 70 Years Since 1949 and 70 People’s Views
on Eco-civilization Construction, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-6742-5_75
755