TASAE 2004

Challenges to Water Resource Management and Land Degradation Prevention inMarginal Land
Minjun Shi
University of Tsukuba, Japan
1. Situation and Problems in Water Resource Management and Environmental Conservationin Marginal Land
What is marginal land? Marginal land is the regions that are ecologically fragile but have highdensity of population. High population pressure on fragile ecological environment is the mostimportant characteristic of marginal land. Most marginal areas are facing serious conflict between
improvement of human well-being and environmental conservation. Especially coordination ofwater resource management and land degradation prevention is a severe challenge to sustainable
development as most of marginal areas are arid land.
There is about 25% of population living on fragile lands in the world. In Sub-Saharan, Middle
East and North Africa, East Asian and pacific and South Asian, more than 24.4% of population areliving on fragile lands (Table1). Most of these areas are arid land. These fragile lands and theSouthern Plains of North America face similar climatic and soil characteristics but different political,financial, and institutional constraints (World Development Report 2003). Another important point isdifferent density of population between the fragile lands and the arid land of North America. The
dense population living on these marginal lands depends upon dryland agriculture.

Table1 Regional distribution of people living on fragile land in 2000
Population on fragile lands by region
Population(millions)Share ofRegion
Number(millions)
total(%)
latin America and the Caribean
515
68
13.1
Eastern Europe and Central
475
58
12.1
Asia
Middle East and North Africa
293
110
37.6
Sub-Saharan Africa
658
258
39.3
South Asia
1,35533024.4
East Asia and Pacific
1,857
469
25.3
OECD group
85094
11.1
Other272
6.9
Total
6,030
1,389
24.7
Source: World Development Report 2003, pp.61
The problems in water resource management and environmental conservation in marginal lands
can be outlined as follows:TASAE 2004
(1) Conflict between limited supply and increasing demand of water resource with rapid
population growth and economic development;(2) Incompatibility between efficient utilization of water resource and technical, financial, andinstitutional constraints to smallholders;(3) Tradeoffs in water resource allocation among human survival, bioproduction andenvironmental conservation
Next follows a case of marginal land facing challenge to water resource management and landdegradation prevention, Shiyang River watershed of China.

2. Challenge to Water Resource Management and Land Degradation Prevention: The Case ofShiyang River Watershed
2.1 Water resource supply and demand
Shiyang River watershed is located in arid area of Western China, with an area of 41,600km2.
The watershed includes upstream Qilian Mountain Range, Wuwei Oasis in midst, and downstream
Minqin Oasis. Annual precipitation is more than 200mm in upstream range, from 150mm to 200mm
in Wuwei Oasis, and from 100mm to 150mm in Minqin Oasis. Most of water resource supply isfrom precipitation and melted glacier. In downstream Minqin area, water resource supply depends on
surface runoff and underground water permeation.
Table 2 indicates water resource supply in Shiyanghe River watershed is relatively steady. The
problem is from increasing demand of water resource with rapid population growth and economicdevelopment. Table3 highlights regional distribution of economy and population in Shiyanghe River
watershed. Table4 shows demand of water resource in the watershed in 2000. About 80% of water
resource of whole watershed is used by Wuwei Oasis. In other word, Wuwei Oasis with 4.9 times ofGDP and 3.1 times of population but 1.5 times of cultivated land is consuming 3.2 times of water
resource than Minqin Oasis. A problem of allocation of water resource between upstream anddownstream regions arose in water resource management.
Table2 Change in water resource supply in Shiyanghe River watershed
Unit: 108m3

Runoff
Runoff

1950s
14.6
1957
13.3

1960s
11.9
1969
13.1

1970s
11.8
1976
14.01980s
11.9
1980
13.0

1990s
13.2
1990
14.1

2000
2000
13.0

Source: (1) Yang Yongchun et al, 2002. The human mechanism research ofMinqin Oasis change in the lower reaches of the Shiyang River.
Geographical research, Vol.21, No.4: pp.449-458(2) Sun Xuetao, 2003. Analysis on water resource Utilization in
Minqin Oasis. China Water Conservance, Vol. 2003, No. 12: pp.35-38

TASAE 2004

Table3 Regional distribution of economy and population in Shiyanghe River watershed
Units: 104Yuan, person, hm2
GDP

Population

Wuwei 427,607
Minqin 87,600
Wuwei/4.88
Minqin946,469
302,082
3.13

Urban
Rural
Cultivated Sowing
Wheat Cornpopulation population
land
area
272,308
674,161
97,253116,370 34,590 28,970
42,332259,750
64,12047,720 21,630 6,740
6.43
2.60
1.52
2.44
1.60
4.30

Source: Gansu Statistics Yearbook 2001
Table4 Demand of water resource in Shiyanghe River watershed in 2000
Unit: 108m3
Forest
Whole
Urban
Rural
Irrigation Industry
anddemandlivinglivinggrassland
Wuwei
20.85
19.15
0.43
0.15
0.25
0.77
Minqin
6.49
6.25
0.15
0.02
0.07
Jinchang
5.78
4.20
1.10
0.15
0.06
0.27
Total
26.63
23.35
1.53
0.30
0.41
1.04
watershed
Wuwei /3.21
3.06
2.87
7.50
3.57
MinqinSource: Sun Xuetao, 2003. Analysis on water resource Utilization in Minqin
Oasis. China Water Conservancy, Vol. 2003, No. 12: pp.35-38

Figure1 Utilization of water resource and intensive farming in upstream region

2.2 Allocation of water resource between upstream and downstream areas
As water resource supply of whole watershed was relatively steady in past decades, increased
occupation of water resource with industrial development and population growth in upper WuweiOasis caused a decline in water resource supply. Table5 indicates changes in water resource supply
to downstream Minqin Oasis. In contrast with 1960, runoff to Minqin in 2000 has decreased 75%,
from 4.58*108m3 to 1.15*108m3. The upstream region is enjoying the use of abundant water resource,
but the downstream region is suffering a severe shortage of water resource. The reservoir andTASAE 2004
irrigation canals in Minqin Oasis have dried up due to the decline in surface and underground runoff
from upper region.

Table5 Change in water resource supply in Minqin Oasis(downstream)
Unit: 108m3
Runoff to Minqin

1940s
6.50
1940s

Runoff to Minqin
1940s

1956
6.00
1957
4.64
1950s

Underground watersupplement

1960
4.58
1969
3.94
1960s
0.33

1970
4.40
1976
2.68
1970s
0.22

1980
2.38
1980
2.21
1980s
0.17

1990
1.97
1990
1.70
1990s
0.12

2000
1.15
2000
0.98
2000
0.11

Sources: (1) Yang Yongchun, 2003. The Analysis of the Oasis Environmental Change andits Reason of the Lower Reaches of the Arid Region. Human Geography, Vol.18, No.4:
pp.42-47(2) Sun Xuetao, 2003. Analysis on water resource Utilization in Minqin Oasis.
China Water Conservancy, Vol. 2003, No. 12: pp.35-38

Figure2 Dried-up reservoir in Minqin Oasis

Figure3 Dried-up canal

Figure4 Slim flow of canal in Minqin

2.3 Incompatibility between efficient utilization of water resource and technical and financial
barriers
Table6 indicates the results of estimation of water resource demand and supply in Minqin Oasis

TASAE 2004
in 1990s. The gap between usable water resource and actual use of water resource reaches at 500,
420*103m3. Especially, as surface runoff is limited, the way to fill in the gap is to draw undergroundwater. Even so Minqin’s economy and livelihood is still suffering shortage of water resource supply.
There is obvious difference in crop productivity between irrigated fields and non-irrigated fields.

Table6 Estimation of water resource demand and supply in Minqin Oasis in 1990s
Unit: 104m3
Items
Total
Surface runoff
Undergroundwater
Precipitation
Items

Water resource
Items
supply29,676
Total
15,010Agri-production
needs
11,290Household livingand industry needs
3,376
Usable waterresource

Items

Water
demand78,133
77,265

Gap between
supply and demand-48,457

868Actual useof water
resource
78,133
12,900Gap between
supply and demand

Total
28,090Total-50,042
Surface runoff
12,900Surface runoff
0
Underground
15,190Underground
65,233-50,042waterwater
Source: Yang Yongchun et al, 2002. The human mechanism research of Minqin Oasis
change in the lower reaches of the Shiyang River. Geographical research, Vol.21,
No.4: pp.449-458

Figure5 Well irrigation

Figure6 Difference of crop productivity

As diverting water from other watershed cannot fill fundamentally in the gap, to adjust land use
system and to improve efficiency of water resource utilization is the essential solution to relieve thegap between demand and supply of water resource. However, possibility to improve efficiency ofwater resource utilization is not so optimistic due to technical, financial and institutional barriers forsmallholders to improve efficiency of water resource utilization. One of the barriers is farmers haveto continue flood irrigation in order to prevent soil salinization, because if field dried up salt will risealong soil capillary and then soil will be salinized. Development and extension of water-saving

TASAE 2004irrigation technology is the basic solution to overcome technical barriers to improve efficiency ofwater resource utilization. Trickle irrigation may save water and improve the utilization efficiency.
However, it is so expensive for poor smallholders to adopt trickle irrigation technology. There areurgent needs in development of appropriate technology suitable to fragile arid land.

2.4 Effects of decrease in water resource supply on land degradation
A great quantity of over-withdrawing underground water results certainly in decline inunderground water table. Table7 indicates underground water table has dropped from 8.5m to 14.9m
during 1984 to 1994. At the center of underground water funnel, underground water table has fallen
at 20m (He Yajuan and Pan Xuebiao, 2003). Simulation results of land use and its effects onunderground water table show if current land use system go on to practice, underground water table
will continue to deepen in Minqin region (Ma Xingwang et al, 2002).

Table7 Change in underground water level in Minqin Oasis
Items
1984 1985
1987
1988
1989
Precipitation(mm) 113
139131
14076
Underground8.53
910.08
10.55
11.26water level(m)

1991
82
12.73

1992
116
13.55

1994
157
14.9

Source: Ma Jinzhu and Weihong, 2003. The ecological and environmental problems causedby the excessive exploitation and utilization of groundwater resources in the Minqin
Basin, Gansu Province. Arid Zone Research, Vol.20, No.4: pp.261-265
One of consequences following decline in underground water table is progress in landdegradation. Table8 shows that the area of irrigable field has decreased from 26,514hm2 to 8,392hm2
during 1978 to 1995. In the same period, forest land decreased from 3,368hm2 to 1,503hm2. Incontrast, abandoned farmland has reached at 14,845hm2. Meanwhile, soil salinization spread rapidly.
The area of saline land has increased from 7,560hm2 to 9,147hm2. A great area of salinized farmland
can only grow salt-enduring plants such as fennel. A lot of trees, grass and bushes withered due todecline in underground water level. As a result, desertification spread. Sandy dune moved forward
and farmland fell back.

Table8 Progress in land degradation
Unit: hm2Year19781995

Irrigable
field
26,514
8,392Forestland
3,368
1,503

Grassland
5,879
10,107

Salinized
land
7,560
9,147

Sandy
land
15,411
13,963Abandoned
cultivated land
14,845

Source: Ma Jinzhu and Weihong, 2003. The ecological and environmental
problems caused by the excessive exploitation and utilization of groundwater
resources in the Minqin Basin, gansu Province. Arid Zone Research, Vol.20,No.4: pp.261-265

TASAE 2004

Figure7 Abandoned cultivated land

Figure8 Soil salinization

Figure9 Planting in salinized field

Figure10 Desertification

Figure11 Withered trees and grass

Figure12 Out-migrated hamletsTASAE 2004

Decrease in water resource supply also causes negative impact on human livelihood. An
extreme case is households of whole hamlet migrated out due to shortage of water resource.

2.5 Challenges to water resource management and land degradation prevention
The problems of water resource management in Shiyanghe River watershed embody tradeoffs
in regional allocation of water resource. Unfair allocation of water resource between upper region
and downstream region results in severe shortage of water resource supply and consequent landdegradation in downstream Minqin Oasis. One of considerable solution to manage water resource
allocation is introducing transaction of right of water resource use. While assuming right of water
resource (quota) use should be allocated fairly between upper Wuwei Oasis and downstream Minqin
Oasis, if the upper region exceeded the quota of water resource use, the upper area shouldcompensate the downstream region for its excessive use of water resource.
Concomitant problems are how to allocate the quota of water resource use and how todetermine the amount of compensation. Allocation of right of water resource use needs to balance
efficiency of water utilization and equity principle and objective of environmental conservation.
Amount of compensation should be determined on the basis of evaluation on economic andecological values of water resource. Costs of economic recession and environmental degradation
caused by decline in water resource supply should be taken into account in evaluation of economicand ecological values of water resource.

3. Future Issues for Japanese Researchers in International Cooperative Research on Water
Resource Management and Environmental Conservation in Marginal Land
Some research issues on water resource management and land degradation prevention inmarginal land can be listed up for Japan’s institutes as topics of international cooperative research infuture.
(1) What is the principle and method to allocate of right of water resource use in marginal land;(2) How to develop the mechanism of transaction of right (quota) of water resource use;(3) How to account economic and ecological values of water resource in marginal land;(4) How to establish institutional and organizational scheme of participatory water resource
management in marginal land.

References
He Yajuan and Pan Xuebiao, 2003. The changes of planting structure and rational use of water
resource in the oasis of Minqin County, Gansu Province. Chinese Journal of
Eco-Agriculture.Vol.11, No.4: pp.121-123.

TASAE 2004
Ma Jinzhu and Weihong, 2003. The ecological and environmental problems caused by the excessive
exploitation and utilization of groundwater resources in the Minqin Basin, gansu Province. AridZone Research, Vol.20, No.4: pp.261-265.
Ma Xingwang et al, 2002. Modeling the influence of land use on groundwater in oasis: The case ofMinqin Oasis. Resource Science. Vol. 24, No.2: pp.49-55.
Sun Xuetao, 2003. Analysis on water resource Utilization in Minqin Oasis. China WaterConservance, Vol. 2003, No. 12: pp.35-38.
Yang Yongchun, 2003. The Analysis of the Oasis Environmental Change and its Reason of theLower Reaches of the Arid Region. Human Geography, Vol.18, No.4: pp.42-47.
Yang Yongchun et al, 2002. The human mechanism research of Minqin Oasis change in the lower
reaches of the Shiyang River. Geographical research, Vol.21, No.4: pp.449-458.