China Matters' Feature: Erhai Lake Guardians: Working Together to Create a Green Home
DALI, China, Dec. 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Erhai Lake was formed at the end of the Ice Age and has a history of about ten thousand years. It is a captivating travel destination and the "Mother Lake" for the ethnic groups of Dali, which they rely on for survival and development.
On the shores of Erhai Lake, there is a group of guardians, who work tirelessly from dawn to dusk, using their own hands to protect every inch of land along the lake and to safeguard the blue water and sky. They have witnessed the changes around Erhai Lake, illustrating their deep affection for their homeland through their actions. Over the past two decades, the water quality of Erhai Lake has significantly improved. It is the result of the collaborative efforts and hard work of many researchers and the local government.
Many research institutions have set up offices in Dali. Data provided by these research institutions strongly supported the local government's conservation and management efforts. The local government adheres to a systematic approach to lake management. In terms of pollution interception and treatment, in the Erhai Lake basin, 3,400 kilometers of sewage collection networks and 99,000 farmers' septic tanks have been built, establishing an initial collection and treatment system for domestic sewage that covers the entire watershed. Regarding the improvement of water quality, the local government strictly implements the responsibilities under the river chief system and carries out ecological management of the rivers flowing into the lake, with 27 major inflowing rivers all meeting quality standards.
The Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, where Erhai Lake is located, is a unique high-altitude, low-latitude region in the world and the source area of many major rivers in China. In Erhai Lake, the good ecological environment provides a habitat for all living things. There exists a long-established unique species—the Schizothorax taliensis. Additionally, the lake is home to aquatic plants such as the Ottelia acuminata that only exist in the Yunnan-Guizhou region. These animal and plant resources are key focuses of biodiversity conservation efforts in China.
Erhai Lake protection focuses on not only safeguarding the local ecosystem, but also preserving the habitat of all living things and, more importantly, protecting the planet's precious ecological treasures. Efforts by the lake guardians embody the harmonious coexistence and mutual prosperity of humanity and nature.
SOURCE China Matters
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