Lake reclamation driven by government policy in China – a case study of Poyang Lake

ABSTRACT

Along with rapid urban sprawl in China, a particular phenomenon of lake reclamation, which is triggered by local economic development, has ensued. This study addresses the phenomenon of lake reclamation, identifies the processes and influences that have driven its evolution and highlights its challenges. In this paper, the former land use policy that has been adopted by local governments adjacent to the lake has been evaluated in response to the problem. Lake reclamation processes have been transformed throughout the eras of exploitation, transition, conservation activities and diversification. Implementation of the proposed policy recommendations is discussed through a case study of Poyang Lake areas, Jiangxi province, drawing attention to its contested and contingent nature. The combination of expansion, industrialization and decreasing lake areas have raised major concerns for the future ecological security in Poyang Lake. These findings will be important for decision-makers to conserve lake ecosystems and resources.

KEYWORDS:

• Lake reclamation
• lake use policies
• driving factors
• Poyang Lake

Acknowledgements

Prof. Ying Liu in Jiangxi Normal University and Prof. Nianhua Dai in Jiangxi Academy of Sciences provided useful comments. We also thank the anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments, which greatly improved the manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This research was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [No. 41361018], the Collaborative Innovation Center for Major Ecological Security Issues of Jiangxi Province and Monitoring Implementation [No. JXS-EW-00], opening fund [PK2013003] of Key Laboratory of Poyang Lake Wetland and Watershed Research (Jiangxi Normal University), Ministry of Education, the open fund of Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Environmental Change & Ecological Construction (Nanjing Normal University) and National Basic Research Program of China [2010CB950900; 2009CB421100].