Global Peatland Initiative

Project title: Peatland restoration and Management in the Ruoergai Plateau, Western China

Grant Agreement Nr. WGP2 03 GPI 68

Agreement holder: WI-China office

Country/region: Georgia

Activity period: 01/10/2002 - 31/12/2003

Documentation and products available:

Final report with Finance Report

Background:

This project was developed as a follow-up to a successful project conducted in China

Partners:
Government:

State Forest Administration (SFA)
Chinese Academy of Science (CAS)
Gansu Forest Department
Sichuan Forest Department
Luqu County Government
Maqu County Government
Ruoergai County Government
Hongyuan County Government

Science agencies

Chanchung Institute of Geography

by Wetlands International China Office with support from GPI between October 2001 and June 2002. The proposal focuses on strengthening peatland management and restoration measures in the Ruoergai Plateau in Western China - which is one of China's largest peatlands.
Components for this project have been identified following consultation with a range of partners at national and local level. The project is linked to and co-funded by the UNEP-GEF project Peatlands, Biodiversity and Climate Change.
There are approximately 3 million ha of peatlands in China, comprising of 20-30% of the natural freshwater wetlands. Many peatland marshes are of great conservation significance. They support an extremely wide range of globally important biological diversity. Biodiversity values include habitats for endangered or endemic animals and plants.

The main management issues are:

Overgrazing and drainage in relation to grazing by livestock (sheep, yaks, horses, cattle and goats), particularly in Ruoergai Marshes in Sichuan and Gansu provinces.
Drainage or conversion of peatland for arable agriculture (such as in the Sanjiang plains in Northeast China)
Mining of peat for fuel
Biodiversity loss following peatland degradation or conversion

The Ruoergai Plateau is an important area in China for peatlands, with a total peat area of 490,000 ha, making up nearly 15 % of the total peat area of the country. It is located in the northeast corner of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and is a relatively flat plateau at 3300-3800m asl with some low hills and completely surrounded by mountains.
This area is rich in peat resources and has abundant water resources of river, lake and groundwater. The main rivers deriving from it are the Yellow River and its tributaries: the Heihe River and the Baihe River. Comparatively large lakes are Haqiu Lake and Cuolajian Lake. The area has a variety of vegetation types, mainly peat, meadows, shrubs and forests, and supports 90% of the global population of the endangered Black-necked Crane.
Peat is distributed widely, covering about 500,000 ha with a depth varying between 0.3 to 10m, with a mean depth of 2.36m.
The human population of the plateau is about 125,000 people (spread over 1 million ha), most of whom are Tibetan pasturalists with vast herds of sheep, yaks and horses. The population of livestock in the plateau is currently recorded as 2.15 million comprising 800,000 yak, 1,300,000 sheep and 50,000 horses. In recent decades, traditional nomadic pasturalism is being replaced with semi-nomadic and settled systems, which has increased impacts on fragile environments such as grasslands and wetlands. Industrial and agricultural output is valued at US $ 15.6 million, of which animal husbandry comprises 50%. The annual per capita income is about US$ 85. Other main income sources are agricultural crops and tourism. Forestry activities have been stopped in the region since 1999 as part of efforts to protect the headwaters of the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers.
One of the main development activities was the creation of large networks of drainage canals constructed in the 1960's and 1970's to increase the area for grazing. These canals were maintained until the late 1970s and abandoned thereafter, but they continue to drain the peatlands as no water control structures were constructed. The canals currently drain many of the peatland areas especially in Hongyuan and Ruoergai Counties where over 250 km of canals were cut. This drainage system is one of the major root causes of degradation of the peatlands in this area.

Brief project description:
The overall, project objectives was to support the conservation of the peatlands of the Ruoergai Plateau through restoration and protection strategies, and to enhance information exchange to support such measures.

Results:

Expected

Outputs and Results achieved

Objectives and results:

Support the implementation of peatland restoration measures in the Ruoergai Plateau

Activities

Work with local agencies to design management measures for selected demonstration sites in the Ruoergai Plateau.
Awareness activities to local communities on peat values and restoration and encouraging support for management measures.
Implement management measures in conjunction with local agencies.
Monitor the success of the management measures in restoring peatland function and biodiversity.

Immediate Objective 2 Enhance information exchange related to peatlands restoration and management and relationship to biodiversity and climate change.

Activities:

Gather experience from other peatland sites in China related to peatland management and restoration.
Organise an international conference in July 2003 on peatland management at a venue on the Ruoergai plateau to provide advice and also international exposure for the problems of the region.
Disseminate experiences through web site, newsletter and e-groups.

Information was collected on environment problems, management issues and conservation issues of peqatlands in Ruoergai.
Dialogue meetings were held in the project sites in Hongyuan and Ruoergai, involving participants from government agencies from Hongyuan and Ruoergai counties and townships, and local agencies from the forestry department and the nature reserves.
Information feedback based on the field assessments in 2002 by WI-China, proposed the management measures, dialogue and appropriate restoration and management measures;
Management measures were implemented by the local authorities in areas identified by WI-China together with local communities and government agencies.
A technical field visit to the Ruoergai peatlands by international and national experts and officials was organised in combination with local meetings on the restoration of the peatlands. In the field the experts checked the restoration sites and exchanged ideas with the local officials from the Forestry Bureau responsible for the restoration project.
Information was disseminated to local people through distribution of newsletters and relevant articles on peatland and climate change. These have also been made available on the website of WI-China (in Chinese).
Management measure implemented

Two sites were identified for demonstration of peatland restoration measures (focused on Riganqiao Wetland Nature Reserve in Hongyuan County and Ruoergai Nature Reserve in Ruoergai County);
Canals and ditches were blocked in Riganqiao Nature Reserve and Ruoergai Nature Reserve respectively.
Monitoring indictors were determined (hydrology, vegetation, grazing and local awareness);

Main outcomes:

Enhanced awareness of local people on peatland values and increased commitment of local authorities and local communities to sustainable peatland management
Actual peatland restoration implemented and techniques demonstrated
A paper on Wetlands and Climate Change published in Wetlands Science bulletin of the Institute of Northeast Geography and Agriculture Ecology;
Meetings were held and facilitated between different development and conservation sectors with representatives of local authorities and communities, enhancing commitment for inter-sectoral land-use planning and sustainable development measures.

Evaluation

The project was very successful in establishing good cooperation with different development and conservation sectors of the local authorities and representatives of local communities. As a result, several peatland restoration activities were conducted by the authorities, which acted as a demonstration of techniques. The impacts were closly monitored and discussed. Information materials also helped to enhance awareness on the functions and values of peatlands. The increased commitment of the local stakeholders catalysed a commitment by the national authorities to make available additional funding for peatland restoration in the region.

Canals dug in the early 1970s

Blocking canals in Hongyuan and Ruoergai counties

last update: 20/07/04

Expected	Outputs and Results achieved
Objectives and results: Support the implementation of peatland restoration measures in the Ruoergai Plateau Activities Work with local agencies to design management measures for selected demonstration sites in the Ruoergai Plateau. Awareness activities to local communities on peat values and restoration and encouraging support for management measures. Implement management measures in conjunction with local agencies. Monitor the success of the management measures in restoring peatland function and biodiversity. Immediate Objective 2 Enhance information exchange related to peatlands restoration and management and relationship to biodiversity and climate change. Activities: Gather experience from other peatland sites in China related to peatland management and restoration. Organise an international conference in July 2003 on peatland management at a venue on the Ruoergai plateau to provide advice and also international exposure for the problems of the region. Disseminate experiences through web site, newsletter and e-groups.	Information was collected on environment problems, management issues and conservation issues of peqatlands in Ruoergai. Dialogue meetings were held in the project sites in Hongyuan and Ruoergai, involving participants from government agencies from Hongyuan and Ruoergai counties and townships, and local agencies from the forestry department and the nature reserves. Information feedback based on the field assessments in 2002 by WI-China, proposed the management measures, dialogue and appropriate restoration and management measures; Management measures were implemented by the local authorities in areas identified by WI-China together with local communities and government agencies. A technical field visit to the Ruoergai peatlands by international and national experts and officials was organised in combination with local meetings on the restoration of the peatlands. In the field the experts checked the restoration sites and exchanged ideas with the local officials from the Forestry Bureau responsible for the restoration project. Information was disseminated to local people through distribution of newsletters and relevant articles on peatland and climate change. These have also been made available on the website of WI-China (in Chinese). Management measure implemented Two sites were identified for demonstration of peatland restoration measures (focused on Riganqiao Wetland Nature Reserve in Hongyuan County and Ruoergai Nature Reserve in Ruoergai County); Canals and ditches were blocked in Riganqiao Nature Reserve and Ruoergai Nature Reserve respectively. Monitoring indictors were determined (hydrology, vegetation, grazing and local awareness); Main outcomes: Enhanced awareness of local people on peatland values and increased commitment of local authorities and local communities to sustainable peatland management Actual peatland restoration implemented and techniques demonstrated A paper on Wetlands and Climate Change published in Wetlands Science bulletin of the Institute of Northeast Geography and Agriculture Ecology; Meetings were held and facilitated between different development and conservation sectors with representatives of local authorities and communities, enhancing commitment for inter-sectoral land-use planning and sustainable development measures.
Evaluation
The project was very successful in establishing good cooperation with different development and conservation sectors of the local authorities and representatives of local communities. As a result, several peatland restoration activities were conducted by the authorities, which acted as a demonstration of techniques. The impacts were closly monitored and discussed. Information materials also helped to enhance awareness on the functions and values of peatlands. The increased commitment of the local stakeholders catalysed a commitment by the national authorities to make available additional funding for peatland restoration in the region.