Terracing the Loess Plateau

to build a better future

Report to the World Bank

on a Field Assignment to

China's Second Loess Plateau Watershed Rehabilitation Project

January 18 - April 28, 1999

Submitted by

Prof. George Y. Leung, Consultant

University of Massachusetts Dartmouth

N. Dartmouth, MA 02747

July 30, 1999

CONTENTS

1. Background

1.1 Introduction 1

1.2 Project Area Description 2

1.3 Strategy 4

1.4 Outlook 6

1.5 Assignment 9

2. Shanxi

2.1 Introduction 10

2.1.1 General 10

2.1.2 Project features 11

2.2 Pianguan 14

2.2.1 General 14

2.2.2 Zijinshan subwatershed 15

2.2.3 Bazishan village 18

2.3 Youyu 19

2.3.1 General 19

2.3.2 Bankland 19

2.3.3 Zhangeryao village 20

2.2.4 Dingjiacun village 22

2.4 Shanyin 24

2.4.1 General 24

2.4.2 Terraces 24

2.4.3 Nanaogou village 26

3. Inner Mongolia

3.1 Introduction 28

3.1.1 General 28

3.1.2 Project features 29

3.1.3 Livestock management 30

3.1.4 Corn stalk choppers 31

3.1.5 Engineering projects 32

3.2 Qingshuihe 33

3.2.1 General 33

3.2.2 Water cellars 33

3.2.3 Tuochang village 34

3.3 Helin 36

3.3.1 General 36

3.3.2 Luwuyao village 37

3.3.3 A village in Woniushan project site 38

3.4 Zhunger 39

3.4.1 General 39

3.4.2 Warping dam 40

3.4.3 Lijiageleng collective 41

3.4.4 Lijiageleng interviews 42

3.4.5 Yingpanta subwatershed 44

4. Gansu

4.1 Introduction 45

4.1.1 General 45

4.1.2 Project features 46

4.1.3 Alfalfa 48

4.2 Huanxian, Huachi, and Qingyang 49

4.2.1 General 49

4.2.2 Terraces 50

4.2.3 Villages 52

4.3 Pingliang and Jingchuan 54

4.3.1 Rain 54

4.3.2 General 56

5. Shaanxi

5.1 Introduction 57

5.1.1 General 57

5.1.2 Project features 58

5.1.3 Apple production 59

5.1.4 Gully head protection 61

5.2 Changwu, Binxian, and Yongshou 62

5.2.1 General 62

5.2.2 Farmland 63

5.2.3 Ditches and pits 64

5.2.4 Xianghuagou subwatershed 65

5.2.5 Peanut roasting 65

5.3 Xunyi and Chunhua 66

5.3.1 General 66

5.3.2 Water cisterns 66

5.3.3 A trail blazer from Chunhua 67

5.3.4 Bees 67

5.3.5 Black locust 68

5.4 Ansai, Baota, and Yanchang 69

5.4.1 General 69

5.4.2 High-quality terraces 70

6. Special Topics

6.1 Key dams 71

6.1.1 Pianguan, Shanxi 71

6.1.2 New key dam in Pianguan 72

6.1.3 Zhunger, Inner Mongolia 73

6.1.4 Pingliang, Gansu 74

6.1.5 An approach to key dam 75

6.2 Terraces 76

6.2.1 Guidelines 76

6.2.2 Terrace design and construction procedure 77

6.2.3 Competitive bidding 78

6.3 Hydrological and meteorological observation facilities 79

6.3.1 Zhunger 79

6.3.2 Pianguan River 80

6.4 Land use rights 82

6.4.1 Policy on "Four Wastes" 82

6.4.2 Land contract renewal 83

Tables

Table 2.1 Comparison of project parameters in Shanxi

before and after implementation 13

Table 2.2 Comparison of actual statistics for Pianguan, Shanxi

under Loess I 16

Table 2.3 Estimated yields of main crops for Shanyin's

project areas 25

Table 3.1 Comparison of project parameters in Inner Mongolia

before and after implementation 30

Table 4.1 Comparison of project parameters in Gansu

before and after implementation 47

Table 5.1 Comparison of project parameters in Shaanxi

before and after implementation 59

Annexes

1. Map 1 84

2. Glossary of English-Chinese equivalent terms 85

3. Subject index 88

Future keepers of the Loess Plateau

1. Background

1.1 Introduction

1.1.1

As the First Loess Plateau Watershed Rehabilitation Project ("Loess I") initiated in 1993 is about to conclude, and encouraged by its success the same four provinces participating in Loess I, namely, Inner Mongolia, Shanxi, Shaanxi, and Gansu, negotiate a similar arrangement with the World Bank for the Second Loess Plateau Watershed Rehabilitation Project ("Loess II"), due to commence in 1999.

Loess II is modeled after Loess I both in scope and features with the intention to extend the benefits achieved in Loess I to a larger segment of the population who subsists near the poverty level, and to a larger area of erosion-degraded land. These projects serve both the purposes of poverty alleviation as well as environmental revitalization.

1.1.2

As shown by rapid increase in farmer's income and noticeable decrease in the region's water and soil loss, significant benefits had been achieved in Loess I almost as soon as the project was implemented, fully justifying the initial appraisal that the area has high potential for development. Old mud huts and cave dwellings, shown in (1.1.1), are giving way to new brick houses, shown in (1.1.2). These scenes are common in Loess I project areas in Inner Mongolia. Added incomes not only allow them to improve on their dwellings but also afford them to purchase motorized vehicles to expand their productive enterprises into transportation, construction, and commerce.

The enthusiastic response of the farmers to project activities is most encouraging. Their trust for the success of th