Resources and eco-environmental protection of salt lakes in China

Abstract

The Chinese salt lake mega-region is controlled by an arid and semi-arid climate, and modern salt lakes are mainly distributed within areas with mean annual precipitation <500 mm. According to their geomorphological features, structural conditions, and material composition, salt lakes in China can be broadly divided into four regions. The degrees of exploitation and utilization of these salt lakes differ because these four regions have experienced different climatic changes and structural activities and have had their own characteristics of salt lake evolution since the beginning of the Quaternary. The salt lakes in these regions have different scales, economic value, and technical conditions for traffic. Among others, Jarantai (Jartai) Salt Lake and Yuncheng Salt Lake are better in terms of comprehensive utilization and environmental protection, and the potash salt lakes represented by Qarhan are most important in terms of exploitation. At present, there exist many environmental problems in the salt lake regions of China, especially in remote, small and medium-sized basins, where abusive or wasteful mining, low recovery, and mining of a single saline mineral have caused impoverishment and large quantities of byproducts. Furthermore, climatic environmental factors can also cause significant changes of salt lake environment. Since 1987, against the background of global warming, the climate in the northwest salt lake region has turned warm and wet, and lakes have exhibited a tendency for expansion and rise, whereas in the east of the region, the climate has remained in a warm dry stage, lake levels have dropped, and salt lakes have become desertified. With the implementation of the strategy of building an environmentally friendly society in China, increasing attention is being paid to eco-environmental protection. It is suggested that experience and advanced techniques in terms of comprehensive utilization, overall development, and environmental protection of salt lakes at home and abroad be further developed to strengthen observation and monitoring of environmental changes of salt lakes and build an environmentally friendly, great salt lake industry.