Lake Reclamation Research Articles

Criminal Law Policy on Land Functions Impacting Climate Change in Indonesian National Law Perspective

The philosophy of functional transfer of land from wetlands, paddy fields, watersheds, protected forests, coastal and lake reclamation into residential areas in a national perspective, is one of the causes of climate change today. Initially, these places provide a cool, fresh and clean air for humans being and the environment, but with the transition of the functions of these lands, an unexpected impact arises from the emergence of pollution, climate change that led to the occurrence of global warming. Philosophically, the transition of land functions is prohibited because it affects the human life. Sociologically, human actions that are deliberately destructive to the environment by transforming agrarian lands into residential areas, factories, hotels and large malls so that previously productive land, turning into polluted lands, must be illegal due to land misuse as opposed to the public interest. Thus, juridically, a regulation that will be highlighted from the criminal law aspects both in the case of criminal acts, criminal liability, and the formulation of the punishment system against any person or legal body proven to commit criminal acts in the case of abuse of land functions, resulting in the change Climate that threatens the safety of mankind. This paper uses normative juridical approach method with some analysis in the form of legal theories related to the writing of this journal.

Impacts of Land-Use Changes on the Lakes across the Yangtze Floodplain in China.

The middle and lower Yangtze (MLY) floodplain has one of the most densely distributed lake clusters in China but suffered from long-term lake reclamation and wetland degradation due to intensive cultivation, fish rearing, and urban expansion over the past several decades. As a land-use alternation to support human life, the conversion of lakes to cropland, aquaculture ponds, and human settlements provides essential ecosystem goods at the expense of the deterioration of wetland environment. To quantify the driving factors of lake changes, we investigated the land-use transitions from lakes (≥1 km2) between 1975 and 2015 using Landsat remote sensing data. We found that the dramatic decline in lake area (a net decrease of 13.8 ± 1.4%) over the four decades was largely attributed to human-induced transformation from lakes to cropland, fish ponds, and built-up areas, accounting for 34.6%, 24.2%, and 2.5% of the total area reduction, respectively. The remaining loss, associated with vegetation (37.3%) and bare land (1.4%) and coming mainly from China's two largest freshwater lakes (Poyang and Dongting), can be explained by climate variation, sediment deposition, and hydrological regulation. These findings shed new light on the quantitative impacts of human activities and climate variation on lake changes and provide a scientific foundation for wetland management decision-making.

Cities under Siege: Flood in 1931 and Environmental Challenges of Chinese Urban Modernization

The paper explores the connection between China’s urban modernization and the resulted environmental vulnerabilities revealed in the 1931 flood. The flood in 1931 is believed to be the deadliest disaster in 20th century China with one-fourth of China’s population affected. The paper challenges the conventional view that the flood was an “unavoidable” natural disaster mainly caused by bad weather conditions (namely heavy rain, a historic high water level, and low-lying ground of the Jianghan plain). The explanation does not address why key urban centers along the Yangzi appeared unusually vulnerable and suffered great loss in the flood of 1931. The paper takes the worst affected urban region in 1931—Wuchang, Hankou and Hanyang as focus of the study. Flood prevention was historically important to the three riverine cities. In traditional China the walled cities with designed hydraulic schemes often provided shelters for people from rural hinterland during the time of flooding. However the three cities were only found defenseless in 1931 after experiencing the rapid urban modernization since the late 19th century. The study specifically examines the urban reconstruction efforts made in the Qing and the Republic and their impacts on the urban flood protection prior to 1931. It explores how the shifting focus of the government from agriculture to trade prioritized urban developmental pattern incompatible with the traditional water-control design. For instance, the rapid urban sprawl since the late Qing caused the reclamation of wetlands and lakes outside city walls preserved as high-water discharge zone. The dismantling of the flood-resistant city walls, locks and moat seriously weakened the traditional urban drains system. In addition, the birth of “the developmental state” in the Republic era marked a new chapter of the Chinese centralized urban modernization with technocratic confidence and industrial ambition. After 1927 the urban social reform reflected a drastic rupture in the government’s policy and societal practice in water control. The concentration of power on the revolutionary government in the cities resulted in the decline of local organizations used to assume water control responsibility at the community level. They were replaced by centrally appointed modernist urban planners who were often ignorant about local condition and traditional wisdom and practice of water control.

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

ABSTRACTAlong 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.

Environmental management in Urmia Lake: thresholds approach

Urmia Lake is a vivid example of negligence in providing the environmental water requirement rooted in prolonged droughts and excessive upstream water withdrawal. The aim of this study is to propose a reclamation strategy for the lake by focusing on estimation of environmental requirement thresholds under various drought severity conditions. On the average, the lake will remain in a moderate hydrological drought condition if the business-as-usual scenario prevails. The shares of natural drought, water withdrawals and water resources development projects (i.e. dams) in recent lake inflow reduction are estimated at 45%, 40% and 15%, respectively; thus, the aggregated contribution of human-induced factors has a more significant impact on the current lake condition than that of natural drought, and a firm and consistent approach to reduce water consumption by the agricultural sector is required for lake reclamation.

中国湖泊水量调节能力及其动态变化

湖泊水量调节是指湖泊生态系统通过洪水蓄积和径流补给实现水资源的再分配,进而减轻洪旱灾害.在围湖造田、退田还湖和气候变化影响下,科学评估我国湖泊水量调节能力现状及变化情况,是实现湖泊洪水调蓄功能和水资源调节功能评价的重要基础.基于全国湖泊调查数据,将全国划分为5个评价区,探讨了面向全国尺度的湖泊水量调节能力评价方法,在此基础上对全国湖泊的水量调节能力及其动态变化进行了分析评价.结果表明:(1)我国湖泊(面积 > 1 km²)水量调节总量为1500.02亿m³,其中东部平原区和青藏高原区的调节量最高,分别占全国总量的44.46%和43.63%;(2)湖泊调节水量的效能以东部平原区最高(310.19万m³/km²),其次是东北平原与山区(191.19万m³/km²),围湖造田/退田还湖将导致该区湖泊水量调节能力明显削弱/增强;(3)近几十年来,我国湖泊水量调节能力呈小幅增长(增长量9.76亿m³,增幅0.65%),5个评价区仅蒙新高原区湖泊水量调节能力明显削弱,其余区域均呈不同程度增强,且以东部平原区增加最多,东北平原与山区增幅最大.研究可以为评估我国湖泊生态系统水量调节能力、分析土地利用变化对流域洪水调蓄和水资源调节功能的影响提供参考.;Lakes provide humans with many different types of ecosystem goods and services that are necessary to sustain human livelihoods. In the past several decades, humanity has substantially increased its efforts to produce desired ecosystem goods from lakes, such as fish, food, and ornaments. However, these efforts have ignored other important ecosystem services from lakes such as water storage and damage mitigation from floods and droughts because lakes are important in regulating the hydrological cycle. The major impacts on the water regulation function of lakes are lake reclamation, returning croplands to lakes, and climate change by impacting the hydrological cycle. Scientific research on measuring the current status and dynamics of lakes in terms of their water regulation capacities can help improve lake ecosystem management in China by filling an important scientific blank. Managers want quick but effective evaluation methods to assess the water regulation capacity of lake ecosystems to clarify the vital role lakes play in supporting human well-being. In this paper, we try to address this scientific need by first conducting a regression analysis to construct a primary water regulation model that connects available water storage capacity to lake area, based on data from the book titled Records for Chinese Lakes. We then evaluated the biophysical quantity of water regulation across China's five lake zones and the temporal changes across the time-series based on the constructed models using regulation capacity and regulation efficiency indicators. From our analysis we had three main findings. First for lakes bigger than 1 km² in area, the water regulation capacity totaled 1500.02×10⁸ m³. The water regulation capacity of the Eastern Plain and the Tibetan Plateau were the highest among the five lake zones identified in this paper. The Eastern Plain and the Tibetan Plateau occupied 44.46% and 43.63% of the total capacity respectively. Second in terms of water regulating efficiency, the Eastern Plain was the highest among all five lake zones with a regulating efficiency of 310.19×10⁴ m³/km² followed by the Northeast China Plain and Mountain, which was 191.19×10⁴ m³/km². Lake reclamation (opposite efforts return croplands to lakes) would significantly weaken (strengthen) the water regulation capacity for lakes in these zones. Third in recent decades, the water regulation capacity for China's lakes displayed a slight increasing trend of an absolute increase of 9.76×10⁸ m³ and a growth rate of 0.65%. Four lake zones (Inner Mongolia-Xinjiang was only zone not applicable) showed an increase in water regulation capacity with the largest absolute increase in the Eastern Plain, and the highest growth rate in the Northeast China Plain and Mountain. This paper lays the groundwork for creating a quick monitoring and assessment method to evaluate the water regulation capacity of China's lakes. Also it is applicable to management by providing a means to assess the influence of land-use change on the water regulation capacity of lakes to buffer against flood and drought disasters. Lastly, this paper provides a basis for analyzing the trade-offs among ecosystem goods and services, thus it has real-world implications for managing lake ecosystems in China.

Impact of the Three-Gorges Dam and water transfer project on Changjiang floods

Increasing frequency of severe floods on the middle and lower Changjiang (Yangtze) River during the past few decades can be attributed to both abnormal monsoon rainfall and landscape changes that include extensive deforestation affecting river sedimentation, and shrinking lakes and levee construction that reduced the areas available for floodwater storage. The Three-Gorges Dam (TGD) and the South-to-North Water Transfer Project (SNWTP) will also affect frequency and intensity of severe floods in the Poyang Lake region of the middle Changjiang. Process-based National Integrated Catchment-based Eco-hydrology (NICE) model predicts that the TGD will increase flood risk during the early summer monsoon against the original justifications for building the dam, relating to complex river–lake–groundwater interactions. Several scenarios predict that morphological change will increase flood risk around the lake. This indicates the importance of managing both flood discharge and sediment deposition for the entire basin. Further, the authors assessed the impact of sand mining in the lake after its prohibition on the Changjiang, and clarified that alternative scenario of sand mining in lakes currently disconnected from the mainstream would reduce the flood risk to a greater extent than intensive dredging along junction channel. Because dry biomasses simulated by the model were linearly related to the Time-Integrated Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (TINDVI) estimated from satellite images, its decadal gradient during 1982–1999 showed a spatially heterogeneous distribution and generally decreasing trends beside the lakes, indicating that the increases in lake reclamation and the resultant decrease in rice productivity are closely related to the hydrologic changes. This integrated approach could help to minimize flood damage and promote better decisions addressing sustainable development.

Dynamics of the lakes in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River basin, China, since late nineteenth century

The middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River basin have the most representative and largest concentration of freshwater lakes in China. However, the size and number of these lakes have changed considerably over the past century due to the natural and anthropogenic impact. The lakes, larger than 10 km(2) in size, were chosen from relief maps and remotely sensed images in 1875, 1950, 1970, 1990, 2000, and 2008 to study the dynamics of lakes in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River basin and to examine the causes and consequences of these changes. Results indicated that there was a dramatic reduction in lake areas, which decreased by 7,841.2 km(2) (42.64 %) during the study period (1875-2008), and the number of lakes in this region changed moderately. Meanwhile, a large number of lakes in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River basin were directly converted into paddy fields, ponds, building lands, or other land-use types over the study period. Therefore, all kinds of lake reclamation should be identified as the major driving factors for the loss of lake in this region. Furthermore, flooding, soil erosion, and sedimentation were also the main factors which triggered lake changes in different periods. Some wetland conservation and restoration projects have been implemented since the 1970s, but they have not reversed the lake degradation. These findings were of great importance to managers involved in making policy for the conservation of lake ecosystems and the utilization of lake resources.

Effect of the coagulants PAX and PIX on the embryonic development of pike (Esox lucius L.)

AbstractThe study examined the development of pike (Esox lucius L.) roe in water containing variously concentrated coagulants PIX®113 and PAX®18, which are increasingly being used in Poland as a method of lake reclamation. The genital products came from spawners caught from a natural water body (Lake Przybiernów). The eggs were incubated in water taken from the same lake, and subjected to the process of phosphorus and iron precipitation with coagulants. Based on the results, it was found that the coagulants used in the experiment inhibit the embryogenesis of pike by the formation of aggregates falling to the bottom, reducing the percentage of live embryos and affecting the size and malformation of the hatching larvae.

Extraction of Hongze Lake Reclamation Area Based on RADARSAT SAR and LANDSAT ETM+

Abstract Due to some limitations of the visible and near infrared bands in remote sensing, radar remote sensing technology, which is capable in all-time, all-weather, and penetrating to some degree and so forth, has become a new technology and new method in rapid, large-scale information extraction. In this paper, the feasibility of using radar image as data source in terms of information extraction of Hongze Lake reclamation area is discussed. Firstly, based on RADARSAT-1 data, radar image was calibrated, geometrically corrected and filtered. Secondly, classification was carried out on SAR data and ETM+ data by using thresholds with the help of groundtruth data. Then, the ETM+ data was classified into the categories of aquaculture, open water, rice paddy and wetland vegetation by using wetness and spectral characteristics. Finally, the categories extracted from two different data sources were combined together. The results show that the methods used in this research are practical and efficient. The overall accuracy of classification is 93% with high Kappa Coefficient of 0.87.

Palaeo-hydrological reconstruction of a managed fen area in The Netherlands

Knowledge of the anthropogenic impact on the hydrology of low-productive fens that are subject to environmental degradation is essential to improve currently utilized hydrological fen restoration strategies. We analyse the naturally and anthropogenically driven evolution of groundwater systems in an intensively managed fen area in The Netherlands using a series of three-dimensional palaeo-groundwater models at a high spatial and temporal resolution. These palaeo-models are representative for five time slices of the time frame 0-2000 AD (Anno Domini), which are defined according to the timing of the natural and anthropogenic developments that had major impacts on the groundwater system configuration. For each time slice, palaeo-geohydrological conditions are reconstructed, which allowed for the calculation of groundwater discharge patterns, water balances and groundwater flow patterns. Contrary to former studies on the evolution of groundwater systems, our palaeo-hydrological reconstruction indicates that current groundwater discharge flux into managed fens may exceed the late-natural groundwater discharge flux. The increased groundwater discharge flux relates to the development of groundwater systems in the river valley with the establishment of polders since 1350 AD. Notably, more recent redirections of groundwater flow due to the reclamation of lakes and the establishment of abstractions wells, as well as the decreased groundwater recharge by anthropogenic land cover change, reduced the groundwater discharge flux only to a minor extent. This finding opposes the hypothesis that a decreased groundwater flux to fens underlies the environmental degradation of fens in intensively managed regions. The palaeo-hydrological reconstruction provides evidence that it is mainly the changes in the spatial configuration, and the shift in the predominant groundwater discharge mechanism, that underlies the environmental degradation of managed low-productive fens. We discuss the consequences of these hydrological changes for the suitability and availability of fen habitat sites. © 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Role of flood storage ability of lakes in the Changjiang River catchment

Almost every year, China is affected by severe flooding, which causes considerable economic loss and serious damage to towns and farms, in particular, at the middle and lower regions of Changjiang (Yangtze) River. In addition to abnormal weather, previous research has concluded that artificial effects have also been significant causes of major flood disasters along this catchment. These have included (i) extreme deforestation and soil erosion in the upper reaches, (ii) shrinking of lake water volumes and their reduced connection with the Changjiang River due to reclamation of lakes that retarded water in the middle reaches, and (iii) restriction of channel capacity following levee construction. The present research focused on the flood storage ability of Dongting and Poyang Lake in the middle region and simulated the water/heat dynamics for the 1998 large-scale flood, which was one of the largest floods in the 20th century, in the entire Changjiang River catchment. The authors expanded the process-based model for application to broader catchments in order to evaluate large-scale flooding in the Changjiang River (NICE-FLD), and compared the severe flood-period of 1998 with the usual flood-period of 1987–1988. The model reproduced excellently the river discharge, soil moisture, evapotranspiration, groundwater level, and other factors. Furthermore, the authors conducted the back-casting simulation by recreating the areas of both lakes in the 1950s and by inputting the meteorological data in the 1998 severe flood in order to evaluate the role of flood storage ability of lakes. The simulation shows that the peak flow and groundwater level around the junction and downstream from it decrease as qualitatively described by the previous researches. This indicates that the increase of lake storage capacity moderates the peak value of lake water level during the flood periods and decreases the groundwater level surrounding the lakes. This result is very important for minimizing flood damage as far as possible and making the better decision on sustainable development in the catchment.

Numerical study on amelioration of water quality in Lakes Shinji and Nakaumi: a coastal brackish lagoon system

Aiming at estimating the effect of an amelioration scheme for water quality in a highly eutrophicated and strongly enclosed estuary, especially placing emphasis on the alleviation of a oxygen-depleted water body, a three-dimensional (3-D) time-dependent coupled physical and ecological model was applied to Lakes Shinji and Nakaumi, a typical coastal brackish lagoon system in Japan. First, the model was run to reproduce the seasonal variation in water temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, and other ecological constituents during the period from April 1998 to March 1999. The daily change regimes of the observed sea surface winds, tidal elevation at the open boundary, river discharges, and meteorological parameters were incorporated into the forcing variables of the ecosystem model. Next, as a numerical experiment, a scenario simulation was carried out under four premises to alleviate the oxygen-depleted water body. The model results agreed fairly well with the field measurements obtained through the regular environmental monitoring in the lagoon system. It was found that an oxygen-depleted water body appears in the eastern part of Lake Nakaumi in early May and develops to cover the whole lagoon in midsummer to leave it almost anoxic. The scenario simulation revealed that each amelioration scheme has a considerable effect in alleviating this hypoxic water body. It was found from the model results and the additional flux analyses that the oxygen concentration will improve as a result of (1) change in the flow field by cutting the dikes built up during lake reclamation and (2) decrease in benthic oxygen consumption by filling up deep holes once created by dredging activities.

Problems with reclamation of acid lakes in the area of Muzakow lakes

In the paper is described actual state of environment after brown-coal exploitation with open-pit and deep-boring methods. The results of recultivation- investigations are shown, which shown the problems of the strong acid lakes- recultivation. In the paper are also shown the geological and hydrogeological characteristics of the coal deposit area.

SETTLEMENT, POPULATION AND LAND USE ANALYSES OF THE NORTH CHINA PLAIN USING SHUTTLE IMAGING RADAR-A DATA∗

Shuttle Imaging Radar-A data are employed to study the settlement, population and land use in the Baoding and Dezhou areas of the North China Plain. By applying nearest neighbor and quadrat analyses, the settlements are found to exhibit a mixed random-clustering pattern which defied the application of Christaller's central place theory. The distinctly visible boundaries from the images permitted accurate estimation of population in both areas. The linear land use forms, notably transportation lines, could also be accurately mapped; the Chinese practice of lake reclamation was also revealed. It is concluded that SIR-A data are useful for much human geography research.

Changes in the zooplankton of Onondaga Lake (NY), 1969–1978

The zooplankton of polluted, hypereutrophic Onondaga Lake (located in metropolitan Syracuse, NY) were reinvestigated during 1978 to identify changes in the community since 1969. The reduction in large daphnids since 1969 has been attributed to size-selective predation by the obligate planktivore, Alosa pseudoharengus, which has become re-established in the lake. A 10- to 20-fold increase in zooplankton biomass has occurred since 1969, which may have been in response to changes in phytoplankton composition and/or reductions in metal pollution resulting from lake reclamation efforts. Increases in grazing on phytoplankton, phytoplankton turnover rates and nutrient recycling are implied by the elevated levels of zooplankton biomass. These zooplankton-phytoplankton interactions may be critical to future reclamation efforts directed at reducing external nutrient loading and primary productivity.

Reclamation of acidified lakes — Middle and Lohi, Sudbury, Ontario

(1975). Reclamation of acidified lakes — Middle and Lohi, Sudbury, Ontario. SIL Proceedings, 1922-2010: Vol. 19, No. 3, pp. 1971-1983.

Elasticity of Growth of Yellow Perch, Chain Pickerel, and Largemouth Bass in Some Reclaimed Massachussetts Waters

To evaluate the Massachusetts warm-water pond and lake reclamation program, which began in 1952, age and growth studies were made on several species of fish. After reclamation by rotenone, growth rates of yellow perch, chain pickerel, and largemouth bass were found to be more rapid than under natural conditions and in some cases growth rates exceeded those recorded in the literature. Adult fish stocked after reclamation showed marked increase in growth, as did resident adult fish remaining after thinning of the population. Rapid growth in reclaimed waters is attributed to reduced competition for food because of lower population densities. In these ponds it appears that the rate of growth of yellow perch, chain pickerel, and largemouth bass was more dependent upon population density than upon length of growing season or other factors.