---Developing
rural hydropower and enforcing "SHP replacing firewood"
ecological protection project are deemed very significant
to protect and improve ecological environment, promote socioeconomic
development of rural areas and rapidly build a well-being
society in full swing in China, which can be elaborated
in the following five aspects:
I. To provide farmers firewood for
living use and guarantee a smooth construction of China
national key ecological project
Steep slope reclamation, enterprises'
over-deforestation and farmers' destruction on vegetation
result in worsening water & soil erosion, land desolation,
river and lake silting and frequent flooding, which not
only deteriorates the ecosystem of mid and west China, and
prevent these areas from shaking off poor & backward
situation, but also imposes threats upon flood control &
disaster mitigation, safety of ecological system and socioeconomic
development in east China region. In China, large-scale
ecological environment construction with the "grain
for green" project as the key part, effectively curbs
steep-slope reclamation and over deforestation, but the
issue of providing fuel to rural farmer still needs to be
addressed, and this issue becomes the main reason leading
to serious deforestation.
According to an investigation,
during the 1990s the amount of firewood for farmers' living
accounts for 40% of the total forest consumption in China,
and in some hilly areas the proportion is as high as 50%-70%.
The State Council approved that during the "10th
Five-year Plan" period, in China the annual deforestation
would be restricted to 223 million m3, among which, the
firewood for farmers limited to 64 million m3. However
in 2001, the actual timber consumed by rural residents
amounted to 228 million m3, which is not only much more
than the firewood limit for farmers, but also exceeds
the limit of total allowed deforestation in China. At
present, in China there are about 200 million more rural
residents mainly living on firewood for cooking and keeping
warming, which seriously threatens the successes of the
"grain for green" project and the natural forest
protection project. To meet the demands of farmers for
firewood becomes the key issue for them to restore arable
lands to forests forever.
SHP is of a clean renewable energy,
and to implement the "SHP replacing firewood"
ecological protection project can permanently and reliably
meet the demands of farmers in planned areas for living
firewood, which can provide an important support and guarantee
to help people return arable lands to forests and step
onto a prosperity road. It will not only uproot man-made
deforestation, protect forests and retain water resources,
but also effectively reduce the emission of greenhouse
gases such as CO2 and other hazardous air SO2 and CO etc.
SHP plays a strategic and significant role for solidifying
the results of "returning arable lands to forests"
project and natural forest protecting project, and protect
& improve the ecological environment.
II. To remarkably clean the atmospheric
environment, and keep the promise to the world that China
will be committed to protect and improve the global environment
To reduce CO2 emission is related
with the safety of global climate, and it is also a top
concern of environment issue in the world. Recently in
a report, UNEP (the United Nations Environment Program)
points out, a series of severe natural disasters and diseases
in Southeast Asia attributes to a 3km-thick brown cloud
layer 14km high upon Asian continent, and it poses a devastating
threat to the global environment. Firewood consumed by
farmers' cooking and warmth keeping is believed the main
reason for this brown cloud in Asia. So rural residents
in these regions are appealed to develop hydropower and
solar energy and other clean renewable energies instead
of firewood. A framework treaty of the UN concerning global
warming requires that, in the upcoming half century the
proportion of present fossil fuel generation in the global
power generation, i.e. 80% shall be reduced to 25% around.
Kyoto Protocol stipulates that, by 2012 CO2 emission of
industrialized nations in the world shall be reduced by
5% on the basis of 1990's rate. The annual CO2 emission
in China accounts for 13.6% of the global amount, second
in the world. China central government attaches great
importance to CO2 emission, and at the global summit on
sustainable development held in South Africa, former Premier
Zhu Rongji solemnly declared that Chinese government had
already checked and approved the Kyoto Protocol. It is
imperative to push forward the development of renewable
energies in full swing. SHP is a renewable green energy
recognized internationally, and actively developing &
using SHP and implementing "SHP replacing firewood"
ecological protection project can extremely cut down the
emission of greenhouse air, which is an important approach
to commit the promise of Chinese government made to the
world, that China endeavors to protect and improve the
global environment. This conforms to the global development
strategy, and it not only meets the urgent need of sustainable
development strategy in China, but also contributes a
lot to the living and development of all the humankind.
III. To effectively better the
farmers' producing and living conditions in hilly regions,
and comprehensively promote the construction of a well-being
society in rural areas
The key part of the "SHP
replacing firewood" ecological protection project
is planned in western China's mountainous areas, in which
there are 375 national-level poverty-stricken counties,
98 provincial-level poverty-stricken counties, 415 minority-nationality
counties and 249 old revolutionary counties. In these
areas the social economy is relatively backward, and people's
living standard is relatively low. The "SHP replacing
firewood" ecological protection project can fully
exploit and utilize the abundant SHP resources in these
districts, and convert a resources advantage into an economy
advantage. While benefiting the "grain for green"
project, the natural forest protecting project and protecting
& improving the ecological environment, farmer's income
can be increased, and meanwhile, industrialization and
township transformation of rural regions can be promoted.
This is very conducive to restructuring of rural economy
and transferring of surplus rural labor force to cities,
promotion of spiritual activities and speeding up poverty-relief
and prosperity. It is an important strategic means to
entirely construct the well-being society and realize
the 3rd stage of development target in the new era, and
substantially embodies the fulfillment of important "Three
Represents" thoughts.
IV. To improve the construction
of rural hydropower and other public facilities, the flood-control
& drought-relief ability and the capability of water
utility serving agriculture
SHP is a clean renewable energy
that can be recycled for permanent use, which will not
threaten the eco environment of river basins, and on the
contrary, will reduce the emission of greenhouse air.
Furthermore, SHP development can effectively increase
the proportion of clean renewable energy in China, and
enhance the optimization of electric energy structure.
The "SHP replacing firewood" project can motivate
medium & small rivers conservancy & development
as well as water resources project construction, as to
form a virtuous circle of "forests help to store
water, water used for power generation, power provided
to industries and power benefits forests protection finally".
It helps to promote a comprehensive development and sustainable
utilization of water resources, and improve a multifunctional
water conservancy for the sake of agriculture and rural
economy.
V. To remarkably improve infrastructure
construction, eco environment and people's living standard
in west China, and promote western China's development.
On the 5th Session of the 15th
Central Committee of the Party, it is planned that China
will make major breakthroughs in infrastructure construction
and environment protection in its vast western areas in
the next 5 to 10 years. The 3rd Session of the 16th Central
Committee of the Party points out, according to strategic
deployment of the 16th National People's Congress, the
principle of "people oriented" shall be abided
by, as well as an all-round, coordinated, and sustainable
development view, as to promote a smooth & overall
development of regional economy and society. West China
is very rich in water resources, but presently the development
extent is relatively low, and the per capita power consumption
of farmers is less than 30% of the total in China. "SHP
replacing firewood" program is an important project
for infrastructure construction and protecting the ecological
environment in western rural areas, and also an important
part for west China's development strategy, which can
not only effectively address the issue of farmers relying
on firewood, restructure the rural energy, solidify results
of the "grain for green" project and the natural
forest protecting project, but also plays an important
and significant role in improving social productivity
of rural areas, realizing agricultural and rural modernization,
shortening the gap between middle China and east China.
(2004-03-07)
