Report on Ramsar visit to Poyang Lake Ramsar site, P.R. China,

<strong>Report</strong> on Ramsar visit to 

Poyang Lake Ramsar site, P.R. China, 

12‐17 April 2010 

<strong>Report</strong> prepared on behalf of the Secretariat of the Ramsar Convention 

by 

Max Finlayson 1 , Jim Harris 2 , Matthew McCartney 3 , Lew Young 4, and Zhang Chen 5 

1 

Institute for Land, Water and Society, Charles Sturt University, Albury, Australia. email: mfinlayson@csu.edu.au 

2 International Crane Foundation, Baraboo, USA and Chair, IUCN Crane Specialist Group. 

email: harris@savingcranes.org 

3 International Water Management Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. email: m.mccartney@cgiar.org 

4 Ramsar Convention Secretariat, Gland, Switzerland. email: young@ramsar.org 

5 WWF-China, Changsha, Hunan, China. email: chzhang@wwfchina.org 

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Contents 

SUMMARY ............................................................................................................................................................4 

1. POYANG LAKE, P.R. CHINA (RAMSAR SITE N° 550) .......................................................................................8 

1.1 The Poyang Lake environment ...................................................................................................................8 

1.2 Poyang Lake Ramsar Site ............................................................................................................................9 

2. BACKGROUND INFORMATION .................................................................................................................. 11 

2.1 Problems facing the site .......................................................................................................................... 11 

2.2 Measure proposed by the Jiangxi Provincial Government ...................................................................... 11 

3. INTERNATIONAL AND NATIONAL OBLIGATIONS ....................................................................................... 12 

3.1 Obligations under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands ........................................................................ 12 

3.2 Obligations under Chinese national regulations ..................................................................................... 13 

4. VISIT TO POYANG LAKE BY THE RAMSAR TEAM ........................................................................................ 13 

4.1 Involvement of the Ramsar Secretariat and the formation of an expert team to visit Poyang Lake ...... 13 

4.2 Meeting with the State Forestry Administration (SFA) ........................................................................... 13 

4.3 Meeting with Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) ................................................................................. 14 

4.4 Meeting with the Governor of Jiangxi Province ...................................................................................... 14 

4.5 Meeting with provincial government departments ................................................................................ 14 

5. ISSUES CONSIDERED BY THE TEAM ........................................................................................................... 15 

5.1 Information needs ................................................................................................................................... 15 

5.2 Potential impacts on the submerged vegetation in the Lake.................................................................. 17 

5.3 Potential impacts Upon Migratory Waterbirds Wintering at Poyang Lake ............................................. 18 

5.4 Potential impacts on finless porpoises and fisheries .............................................................................. 19 

5.5 Potential impacts on Poyang Lake Nature Reserve and other nature reserves in Poyang Lake ............. 20 

5.6 Design and management of a dam .......................................................................................................... 21 

5.7 Influences due to development within the lake basin ............................................................................ 22 

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5.8 Possible negative impacts from long‐term climate variability and change ............................................. 23 

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS ......................................................................................................... 24 

6.1 Information gaps: .................................................................................................................................... 25 

6.2 Potential impacts on the submerged vegetation in the Lake.................................................................. 26 

6.3 Potential impacts on migratory waterbirds and other animals .............................................................. 26 

6.4 Policy ........................................................................................................................................................ 27 

6.4.1 Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM) approach ....................................................................... 27 

6.4.2 Assessment of the effect of the proposed Poyang Lake hydraulic project .......................................... 27 

6. REFERENCES CITED .................................................................................................................................... 28 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS...................................................................................................................................... 30 

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SUMMARY 概要 : 

In response to a request from Jiangxi Province Forestry Department, the Secretariat of the Ramsar Convention 

formed a team of experts to investigate the ecological environment of Poyang Lake and the current situation 

for wintering migratory birds and to consult with governmental officials and scientific experts about the plan 

for the Poyang Lake Water Control Project. The team of experts was able to visit Poyang Lake and attend 

presentations and discuss the project with officials and experts who provided a large amount of information on 

the ecological character of Poyang Lake covering the biology, water chemistry and hydrology in particular. 

应江西省林业厅的邀请 , 湿地公约局秘书处组建专家组 ( 简称专家组 ), 目的是对鄱阳湖生态环境和现 

今冬候鸟基本状况进行考察 , 同时与政府部门及科学家就鄱阳湖水利枢纽工程进行商讨。其间 , 专家组 

实地考察了鄱阳湖 , 并与政府有关部门政府官员及相关科学家通过报告与讨论等形式就鄱阳湖生态特 

征 , 尤其是生物多样性、水化学、水文等领域交流了大量信息。 

In line with the obligations under the Ramsar Convention to make wise use of and maintain the ecological 

character of the lake, it is emphasized that all management decisions should be based on the best available 

scientific evidence and in line with international guidance for the sustainable use of wetlands and their 

resources (ecosystem services). This obligation under the Ramsar Convention is particularly important as it has 

been reported that the lake has already undergone a change in ecological character with consequent changes 

in its widely recognized conservation and biodiversity values. The significance of protecting the ecological 

character of Poyang Lake is all the greater given the deterioration of many wetlands and waterbird populations 

within the middle reaches of the Yangtze River Basin, and the extraordinary importance of Poyang Lake 

wetlands and biodiversity on a global level. 

湿地公约对湿地合理利用及保护的相关义务和原则强调 : 所有的湿地管理决策都应当建立在充分的科学 

论证和湿地及其资源 ( 或生态系统服务功能 ) 的可持续利用的国际框架之下作出。当湖泊公认的具有保 

护意义和生物多样性价值的生态学特征被改变时 , 上述义务与原则就尤其重要。在现今长江中下游众多 

湿地和水鸟种群已经受到威胁的情况下 , 鄱阳湖湿地生态系统的保护更显紧迫。而且鄱阳湖的湿地生物 

多样性和生态价值在全球层面上也是不可替代的。 

A number of key recommendations are made below based on the conclusions drawn by the Ramsar team and 

outlined in more detail in the body of the report: 

基于此 , 专家组给出以下主要建议 , 具体详细信息请参见报告内容 : 

 

 

Throughout their visit, the team was informed by many experts that the seasonal decline in winter water 

level was now starting earlier and was lasting for a longer period. The team, however, was unable to 

assess the scientific data to ascertain the causes of this change, for example, whether it was due to shortterm 

climate variability, longer‐term climate change or changes to the flows along the Yangtze and 

tributary rivers to the lake. The causes of the change in winter water levels need to be investigated and 

placed in a climate context for future management. 

通过此次考察 , 专家组经常被告知 , 近年来鄱阳湖提前进入冬季枯水期 , 而且枯水期延长 , 水位偏 

低。但是专家组目前还没有足够的科学数据来确定这种变化的原因。换句话说 , 还不能确定这是不 

是气候的短期异常或长期变化所引起 , 或者是长江干流的变化还是鄱阳湖支流的变化所引起的。为 

了将来管理的需要 , 冬季水位下降的原因还需要在气候变化的大背景下更进一步的调查和研究。 

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Once the causes of the change in water levels are unambiguously determined, further effort should be 

directed towards assessing a range of solutions and determining which would be the most effective 

without impacting on the remarkable ecological and economic importance of Poyang Lake. If the 

ecological character of the lake is found to be changing, the Ramsar Secretariat should be formally 

informed as required under Article 3.2 of the Convention. 

冬季水位下降的原因一旦清晰 , 应进一步考虑多种解决途径 , 从中择取最有效解决问题的方式 , 且 

对鄱阳湖生态系统和社会经济没有显著的负面影响。如果发现鄱阳湖的生态系统特性被改变 , 依照 

湿地公约 3.2 条款湿地公约局应得到正式通知。 

Given the importance of the ecosystem services provided by the lake both locally and to downstream 

inhabitants it could also be beneficial to introduce an incentives scheme to ensure that these services are 

maintained, and benefits accrued by the wider community. This strategy may include a scheme of 

Payment for Ecosystem Services whereby Jiangxi could receive significant development support while 

sustaining the widely recognized ecosystem benefits provided by the lake, many of which have regional or 

global significance. 

应引进一种奖励机制 , 用于保持鄱阳湖为当地和下游提供的重要生态系统服务功能。江西省为了保 

护那些重要和具有国际意义的生态区可能会丧失部分发展机会 , 但是可以通过生态补偿机制的建立 

得到相应的资金补偿。 

As Poyang Lake is a unique wetland system that has evolved in response to the natural seasonal 

fluctuations in water levels, changes to this natural pattern may have serious impacts on the ecology of 

the lake and its international importance. Changing these natural fluctuations would impact on the 

fisheries, the finless porpoise, the wetland vegetation and the waterbirds, especially the critically 

endangered Siberian crane. Under any management scenario, the objective should be to maintain or 

restore the natural rise and fall of the water in the lake, using lake data collected over the last 50 years as 

a baseline. For example, the length of the winter low water period should be replicated, with lowest 

water levels approximating the average from the last 50 years, of 12.0 meters above sea level (Wu Song) 

at Wucheng and 9.0 meters at Xingzi but with fluctuations within and between winters as experienced in 

recent decades. Changes to the natural water flow and seasonal variation could be catastrophic for the 

biodiversity and ecosystem services obtained from the lake. This management objective will require a 

decision support system comprising management rules based on an appropriate hydrological model linked 

with a conceptualised ecological model of the lake. 

鄱阳湖水位的季节性变化形成了其独一无二的湿地生态系统 , 改变这种自然状态无疑会对湖泊生态 

和其国际重要性造成严重的影响。改变这种自然的水位波动将严重影响鱼类、江豚、湿地植被和水 

鸟 , 尤其是濒临灭绝的白鹤种群。在任何情况下 , 管理与治理目标应该是利用基于过去 50 年的 

( 或更长的 ) 湖泊水位等数据 , 从而保持或者恢复湖泊水位的自然消涨。比如说 , 冬季枯水期的时 

间尺度的估算应当基于过去 50 年来 ( 或更长 ) 平均最低水位 , 即 12.0 米的吴城水位 ( 吴淞高程 ) 

和 9 米的星子水位 ( 吴淞高程 ), 而不是基于最近 10 年来年内冬季最低或每年之间冬季最低水位 

估算。而改变水体的自然流动和季节性变化对湖泊生物多样性和生态系统服务功能的打击将是致命 

的 ; 

At present, Poyang Lake receives a large input of nutrients from its catchment that may already be pushing 

the lake towards a near‐irreversible change in ecological character. The construction of a dam with 

subsequent retention of more water may exacerbate this situation. It is stressed that similar changes in 

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lakes and other waterbodies elsewhere are seen as near irreversible. The continued inflow of nutrients 

into the lake may cause a switch from a lake characterized by clear water and submerged plants (e.g., 

Vallisneria spp.) to one characterized by turbid water and high concentrations of phytoplankton with the 

decline or loss of those waterbirds that formerly fed on the submerged plants. This scenario may see the 

loss of a major feeding ground for waterbirds that are already under threat from changes elsewhere in 

their range. The importance of maintaining the ecological conditions in Poyang Lake that support these 

birds must not be understated. 

 

 

 

 

 

从生态特性上讲 , 现在汇入湖泊的大量营养物质已经很有可能将鄱阳湖推向难以逆转的境地。如果 

再建造一个大坝 , 汇集更多的水量将使这种情况更加恶化。这里强调的是 , 针对湖泊和其它水体的 

类似做法造成的无法挽回的富营养化事件比比皆是。持续流入的营养物质将使清洁的和具有沉水植 

物 ( 如 : 苦草 ) 的湖泊向混浊、高密度的藻类湖泊演化 , 同时将导致依赖这些沉水植物的鸟类迅速 

减少和消亡。所以 , 维持鄱阳湖水鸟赖以生存的生态环境非常重要。 

The Ramsar Convention has provided guidance to ensure that all decisions governing Ramsar sites are 

made in a balanced and transparent manner and take into account the views of government departments, 

scientists and experts, and other relevant stakeholders. In line with this guidance it is recommended that a 

meeting should be held when the (six) expert teams that are collating further information on the potential 

consequences of the Poyang Lake Water Control Project have completed their draft reports so that their 

results can be presented to the wider scientific and conservation communities. Each of the teams could 

present their reports and the audience be allowed to provide comments and in particular explore the 

trade‐offs and synergies between management alternatives for the lake. An open scientific forum of this 

nature would support efforts to integrate the information collected from the six teams as well as provide 

further insight into the complex management alternatives. Similarly, after the information from the six 

teams has been integrated, a second open meeting should be held for the scientific audience to comment 

on the final report. 

湿地公约提供的指南希望所有的国际重要湿地的管理决策应建立在公平透明的基础上 , 要充分考虑 

政府部门、科学界、专家及其它利益相关者的意见。根据这一指南 , 湿地公约局建议 6 大课题组经 

信息交流及完成鄱阳湖水利枢纽工程潜在影响研究后召开一个会议 , 每个课题组的研究成果能够得 

到科学界和保护界的广泛建议和交流 , 以便得到更多湖泊治理的替代方案。开放的科学论坛将有助 

于 6 大课题整合和交流信息。同样的 , 当 6 大课题研究结果整合后应召开第二次公开会议 , 为最终 

报告征求更多建议。 

Poyang Lake is affected by a range of different stakeholders with different interests. As the economic and 

population pressures around the lake are growing, especially with the development of the new Poyang 

Lake Eco‐Economic Development Zone, international experience shows that it would be important to form 

an independent and broad‐based management committee that would be responsible for the long‐term 

management of Poyang Lake and its river basin. The team stressed the importance of managing the 

system and its water resources at a watershed level. There are many examples of such river basin 

management committees from around the world that could be studied and used to develop a model for 

Poyang. It is also recommended that an independent technical advisory committee is established to 

support the management committee. The advisory committee could also benefit from international 

expertise. 

鄱阳湖涉及来自不同利益相关者的利益影响 , 环湖经济发展和人口的压力越来越大 , 尤其是新的鄱 

阳湖生态经济圈的发展。国际经验表明 , 首先重要的是要成立一个独立的多方参与的综合管理委员 

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会 , 负责对鄱阳湖及其流域的长期和综合管理。专家组强调管理应该是基于流域层面的生态系统和 

水资源管理。全球有很多诸如河流流域综合管理委员会的成功案例可为鄱阳湖的发展提供示范。其 

二 , 建议建立一个独立的 , 有国际技术和经验支撑的技术咨询委员会以便支持管理委员会的工作。 

 

The Ramsar Secretariat is able to provide further advice on the reporting requirements under the 

Convention and the availability of technical guidance for the sustainable use and management of 

wetlands. It is also well positioned to advise on processes to ensure that the large information resource 

already available and being collated is treated in an integrated manner to further describe, assess and 

monitor the ecological character of the lake in line with international best practice. 

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1. POYANG LAKE, P.R. CHINA (RAMSAR SITE N° 550) 

1.1 The Poyang Lake environment 

Poyang Lake is one of the largest freshwater wetlands in Asia with an area of approximately 4,000 km 2 during 

summer high water (Shankman et al. 2006; Figure 1). Poyang and Dongting are the only sizable lakes in the mid 

Yangtze River Basin that retain a natural connection to the river (all other lakes are separated by sluice gates 

and embankments). Poyang Lake is a dynamic wetland system where water depths are deep during the 

summer rainy season and shallow during the winter dry season, with differences as great as 13 m within a year. 

Figure 1. Poyang Lake at high water (left) and low water (right) overlaid with study area for research by PLNR and International 

Crane Foundation on waterbirds, water levels, and aquatic food plants, and with the location of Nanjishan Nature 

Reserve. Adapted from Barzen et al. (2009). 

The watershed of the lake (144,000 km 2 ) is entirely encompassed within and covers 97% of Jiangxi Province, 

with five main tributaries draining into the lake (the Gan, Xiu, Fu, Xing and Rao Rivers). Mean annual runoff 

from the lake into the Yangtze is 143.6 Bm 3 (i.e., 15% of the total Yangtze flow). Poyang has a seasonal, 

reverse‐flow system which greatly contributes to the complexity of its yearly hydrological variation. Typically, 

the five tributary rivers flood during spring and early summer with water levels peaking in the summer. 

Outflow from the lake is controlled by hydraulic head (i.e., the difference in water‐levels) between the lake and 

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the Yangtze River. Sometimes, when the Yangtze is in flood in late summer, water levels in the river are 

greater than they are in the lake and so water flows from the Yangtze into the lake. This phenomenon adds to 

the hydrological complexity and variability of the system (Shankman and Liang 2003). Variation in water levels, 

both within and among years, directly contributes to the large biomass of plant life (Li et al. 2004), and 

provides a wide range of foraging options for many waterbird species (Cao et al. 2008, Barzen unpublished 

data). 

Poyang Lake is characterized by a broad, flat landscape dominated by gradual slopes typical of floodplains. 

Many sub‐lakes occur in the southern and western regions of the lake after the water level falls and fragments 

the remaining water into separate isolated parts. At these times, the sub‐lakes are connected to Poyang Lake 

only by small channels either natural or man‐made. The sub‐lakes are usually reconnected by sheet flows of 

water during summer floods. 

Biological productivity within these wetlands is often concentrated in areas where slopes are shallow because 

relatively flat gradients allow for the accumulation and presence of water over time. Steeper slopes allow for 

quicker run‐off and limits the water to a relatively narrow band around the edge of the lake, thereby reducing 

habitat availability for wetland plants and animals. Due to the overall flat topography, the wetlands and 

waterbirds are highly sensitive to changes in water levels. 

Poyang Lake has by far the largest number of wintering waterbirds of any wetland in East Asia, with over 

400,000 present in many winters (see Barter et al. 2004, Barter et al. 2005, Li et al. 2004, Ji et al. 2007). The 

lake supports almost all the world population of the critically endangered Siberian crane Grus leucogeranus and 

the endangered oriental stork Ciconia boyciana, and substantial numbers of several other threatened species. 

It also supports one of the largest surviving populations of finless porpoise Neophocaena phocaenoides 

asiaeorientalis, and a large diversity of fish species. 

The lake also has immense economic importance for Jiangxi Province, and China’s State Council recently 

approved a Poyang Lake Eco‐economic Development Zone that includes 38 counties surrounding the lake and 

over 28 million people. The water and wetland resources have major economic importance for fisheries, 

transport, and agriculture. Aside from these economic benefits, the large wetlands provide highly important 

ecosystem services such as water storage, flood control, and amelioration of water quality. Due to the unique 

ecology and its national and global biodiversity significance, 19 nature reserves have been established in and 

around the lake, including 14 primarily for migratory waterbirds and their wetland habitats and 5 for aquatic 

animals. 

1.2 Poyang Lake Ramsar Site 

Poyang Lake National Nature Reserve (PLNR) is the most important of the reserves for cranes and many other 

waterbirds in and around Poyang Lake. It was established in 1983 and designated by the Chinese Government 

as a Ramsar Site in 1992. PLNR covers an area of 22,400 hectares in the northwest corner of the lake basin, 

where the Xiu and Gan Rivers join before entering the main Poyang Lake. In autumn, as lake levels drop and 

vast mudflats are exposed, nine sub‐lakes form and comprise the primary habitat within the reserve for 

waterbirds. Of these lakes, two (Da Cha Hu and Bang Hu) have direct connection to the main lake even during 

winter, while the other seven are separated for the winter months; thus their water levels differ from the main 

lake. These seven drain via channels that are controlled by sluice gates to regulate the outflow of water in a 

manner that enhances the annual fish catch. 

While almost all of the Poyang Lake Basin is utilized by people, PLNR has secured the use rights to five of the 

nine lakes: Da Hu Chi, Sha Hu, Chang Hu Chi, Xiang Hu, and Zhu Shi Hu (Figure 2). For these five lakes, the 

reserve is thus able to regulate water releases, fishing, and other human activity such as livestock grazing that 

affect waterbirds. Of these lakes, Da Hu Chi is the most important for waterbirds and often provides foraging 

habitat for cranes, storks, geese, and swans. 

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Figure 2. Poyang Lake National Nature Reserve. The base map is a LANDSAT image taken on December 10, 1999 and 

represents the average low water elevation (11.98 m Wu Song) in Poyang Lake. The red boundary is the study area 

included within the Digital Elevation Map. Adapted from Barzen et al. (2009). 

PLNR headquarters are located in Nanchang while three monitoring/education stations exist within the 

reserve. A further seven stations are being developed in other parts of the lake. PLNR covers only 5% of the 

wetlands at Poyang. While the nine sub‐lakes within PLNR represent the most heavily used habitat by birds, 

utilization patterns by wintering waterbirds are exceptionally dynamic and can shift rapidly to reflect changing 

conditions within the lake basin with regards to food accessibility and human disturbance. Often these 

waterbirds are found outside of the boundaries of PLNR and other protected areas across the lake basin. 

During times of drought, PLNR may have practically no water birds. The network of reserves therefore serves 

to protect a wide range of habitats with water and vegetation conditions that fluctuate through space and 

time. The shifting patchwork of resources that exist across the vast extent of Poyang Lake’s shallow water 

wetlands has consistently provided sufficient foraging and roosting habitat for the large numbers of birds with 

highly diverse requirements even in periods of extreme flood and extreme drought, only possible because of 

Poyang’s vast size and shifting conditions during the winter months. Due to the hydrologic connections, and 

frequent movements of waterbirds, the conservation values of PLNR are dependent on its connections to the 

lake as a whole and to the wider basin. 

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2. BACKGROUND INFORMATION 

2.1 Problems facing the site 

In recent years, it is claimed that Poyang Lake has been shrinking with observable declines in the winter lake 

area and volume due to the water levels decreasing earlier in the year, and lasting for a longer period than in 

the past. This is said to cause: 

difficulties for urban and rural areas around the lake having access to water, especially for irrigation, but 

also domestic supply. For example it is estimated that 250,000 people had problems getting drinking 

water for 3 months in the winter of 2006; 

impacts on the wetland biodiversity of the lake, especially aquatic plants and waterbirds. It is claimed that 

water‐bird number have dropped significantly; 

reduction in the navigability of the channels in the lake for shipping because they are too shallow. For 

example during the winter of 2007 shipping was significantly affected; 

depletion of the fishery resources, and; 

deterioration in the water quality of the lake due to its small size. 

The low water levels also expose small grassy islands within the lake as well as shoreline suitable for the water 

snails that are host for the parasite that causes schistosomiasis, a disease that is prevalent among people living 

around the lake. 

2.2 Measure proposed by the Jiangxi Provincial Government 

In response to the problem of low water levels in winter, the Jiangxi Provincial government has proposed 

building a 2.8 km long dam with sluice gates across the narrowest part of the channel linking the lake and the 

Yangtze River (Figure 1). 

The dam would be in Xingzi County, some 27 km from where the waters from Poyang Lake meet the Yangtze 

River. The exact design of the dam has yet to be decided. Similarly, the manner in which water will be released 

through the dam has not been determined. However, it is intended that the dam will maintain predetermined 

seasonal water levels in the lake at different times of year in order to meet the needs of the different 

stakeholders as well as to maintain the ecological value of the lake. Basically, the sluice gates would be open 

during the wet season and allow the water levels in the lake to rise, but then the sluice gates would be closed 

during the winter period and water slowly released in a controlled manner. 

The dam is intended to provide multiple benefits including: 

To maintain a set area and volume of water in the lake so as to maintain the aquatic environment of 

Poyang Lake; 

To allow comprehensive development and management of the water resources for irrigation, water 

supply, navigation, tourism, fishery, etc.; 

To contribute to the conservation of the protected areas within Poyang Lake and the wetland biodiversity 

that they support; and 

To aid in the control and elimination of schistosomiasis in the lake region. 

In this way, the dam would be able both to maintain the ecological value of the lake as well as promote 

sustainable economic development in the Poyang Lake region. Economic development is an important issue in 

Jiangxi Province as it is one of the least developed provinces in China. As a result, the Provincial Government 

proposed the development of the 51,200 km 2 Poyang Lake Eco‐economic Development Zone around the lake, 

11

with the dam as one of the project elements. The Central Government approved the Eco‐economic Zone in 

December 2009 but did not approve the dam. Instead, they asked that further scientific assessment be carried 

out on the likely impacts of the dam. As a result, Jiangxi Province requested scientists within the Chinese 

Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Water Resources to form six teams, each to investigate one of 

the six key issues related to the proposed dam. These topics were related to the effects of the dam on: 

Sediment deposition and its countermeasures; 

Flood control and its countermeasures; 

Water quality and its countermeasures; 

Wetland and migratory birds and its countermeasures; 

Aquatic life resources in Poyang Lake and its countermeasures; 

The linkage between Poyang Lake and the Yangtze River. 

The objective of these expert scientific teams is to analyze potential negative impacts of the dam, propose 

ways to reduce or mitigate these impacts and then provide scientifically based recommendations whether the 

dam should go ahead. The six teams are expected to release the first drafts of their reports at the end of April 

2010. 

3. INTERNATIONAL AND NATIONAL OBLIGATIONS 

3.1 Obligations under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands 

The Chinese government joined the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands in 1992 and as part of their accession 

process, listed Poyang Lake National Nature Reserve as one of their first Wetlands of International Importance 

(Ramsar site) in the same year. The justifications for listing the Poyang Lake NNR as a Ramsar site included: 

the largest fresh water lake in China in near‐natural state (Criterion 1a); 

a good example of natural lake and alluvial floodplain (Criterion 1c); 

supports large numbers of wintering waterfowl including several endangered species and important fauna 

and flora communities (Criterion 2a). 

supports over 100,000 wintering waterfowl (Criterion 3a); 

supports nearly 3,000 Siberian White Cranes (Grus leucogeranus), accounting for 95% of the world’s total 

(Criterion 3c). 

As a Contracting Party to the Ramsar Convention, the government has the following obligations: 

to maintain the ecological character of their Ramsar sites (Article 3.1; Resolution VIII.8); 

to inform the Secretariat if the ecological character of any Ramsar site has changed, is changing or is likely 

to change as the result of technological developments, pollution or other human interference (Article 3.2); 

to take swift and effective action to remedy threats (Recommendations 3.9 and 4.8; Resolution VIII.8); 

to carry out Environmental Impact Assessments (implied by Article 3.2; Recommendation 6.2; Resolutions 

VII.16 and VIII.9); and 

to undertake relevant forms of community participation (Recommendation 6.3; Resolution VII.8). 

12

3.2 Obligations under Chinese national regulations 

Poyang Lake wetland and its national nature reserve are defined as a nationally and internationally important 

wetland with international key species of wintering birds within the ‘National Wetland Conservation Action 

Plan’ enacted in 1999 by the State Forestry Administration, the China State Wetland Authority. Specific 

national wetland legislation is planned but not yet ready. In 2004, the Jiangxi Provincial Government issued the 

‘Poyang Lake Wetland Conservation Regulation’ which further defined the importance of the wetland and its 

ecosystem. In addition, the Poyang Lake National Nature Reserve and Nanjishan National Nature Reserve are 

also under the protection of the ‘China National Nature Reserve Regulation’. 

The obligations from the legislation are listed as follows (Anonymous 2004): 

a. Clear definition of the wetland and its resources, with the definition based on that adopted by the Ramsar 

Convention; 

b. Ecosystem conservation first, and development second; 

c. The conservation of the wetland should be included in the overall development plan of the province; 

d. The wetland conservation plan needs to approved by the provincial government; 

e. The provincial government should approve the establishment of nature reserves to support: endangered 

species; habitats for nationally important migratory species; main spawning areas for important fish 

species; and high concentrations of wetland wildlife; and 

f. It is obligatory for any engineering projects in the wetland area to undergo a strict environmental 

assessment. 

4. VISIT TO POYANG LAKE BY THE RAMSAR TEAM 

4.1 Involvement of the Ramsar Secretariat and the formation of an expert team to 

visit Poyang Lake 

On 21 April 2009, the Ramsar Secretariat wrote to the Permanent Representative of the P.R. China to the 

United Nations Office in Geneva requesting more information about the dam that was being proposed to be 

built across the outlet of Poyang Lake. On 2 July 2009, the State Forestry Administration (SFA) replied saying 

that such a proposal would first require a comprehensive and scientific evaluation, including a cost‐benefit 

analysis and an environmental impact assessment. The proposal would then have to be reviewed by the central 

government which would then make a decision on whether to approve the plan or not. 

In January 2010, the Secretariat was contacted informally by SFA on behalf of the Jiangxi Province Forestry 

Department, with a request to form a team with experts from IUCN and WWF to visit Poyang Lake. 

On 11 March 2010, the Secretariat received a formal request from the Jiangxi Province Forestry Department via 

SFA, to form a team of experts with the aim of ‘…studying the ecological environment of Poyang Lake and 

current situation of wintering migratory birds, communicating some problems and consulting opinions and 

advice on the plan of Poyang Lake Water Control Project with the experts.’ A joint team was then quickly 

formed and visited China to hold meetings with government officials and scientific experts, as well as to make 

site visits to Poyang Lake according to the schedule given in Appendix 1. 

4.2 Meeting with the State Forestry Administration (SFA) 

During the meeting with the Wetlands Center of SFA on the morning of 13 April, SFA officials explained that the 

proposed dam has attracted much attention from government bodies, provinces and cities from the middle 

13

and lower stretches of the Yangtzse River, scientific experts, as well as from international organizations. As a 

result, SFA held regular communications with Jiangxi Province. Jiangxi was interested in exchanging ideas and 

holding discussions with international experts about the construction of the dam. Therefore, SFA agreed to 

contact the Secretariat to seek their assistance in forming a team of experts to visit Poyang Lake. Overall, SFA 

said that they have placed a lot of attention on the proposed dam and have requested Jiangxi Province to 

conduct a sound and detailed assessment of the project – whether to build the structure or not and if so, how 

to best build the structure. 

4.3 Meeting with Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) 

A meeting was organized at the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese 

Academy of Sciences with one of the six teams that have been established by the Jiangxi Provincial government 

to investigate the effects of the proposed dam. This team was charged with examining impacts on the 

wetlands and migratory birds. 

4.4 Meeting with the Governor of Jiangxi Province 

In the afternoon of 14 April, Mr. Wu Xinxiong, the Governor of Jiangxi Province, and other provincial leaders 

met with the Ramsar group for around 45 minutes and then had dinner with them afterwards. The Governor 

showed his awareness of the ecological importance of Poyang Lake and outlined the steps the Government had 

taken to promote environmental protection in the Province. He also explained the need for promoting 

sustainable development in order to lift the people to a higher economic standard. A highly important part of 

this effort was the development of the Poyang Lake Eco‐economic Development Zone. 

4.5 Meeting with provincial government departments 

On the afternoon of Thursday 15 April, a meeting was organized for the team with representatives from 

relevant Jiangxi Provincial government departments that have a role in the conservation and management of 

Poyang Lake. The aim was to exchange views on the problems facing Poyang Lake and to present solutions to 

those problems. A list of the participants from the Jiangxi Provincial government is given in Appendix 2. Due to 

insufficient time for the presentations and discussions, it was decided to continue the meeting the following 

morning (Friday, 16 April) instead of visiting the Nanjishan National Nature Reserve. Below is a summary of our 

understanding of the presentations from each of the departments. 

Jiangxi Province Water Resource Department: A detailed presentation was given on the geography of Poyang 

Lake, the environmental problems that it faces and the proposed solution through the construction of a water 

control structure (dam/sluice) across the mouth of Poyang Lake. 

Jiangxi Province Reform and Development Department: In December 2009, the Eco‐Economic Zone (EEZ) 

project around Poyang Lake was approved by Central Government and has since become part of the national 

development strategy. The proposed Water Conservancy Project is an important part of the EEZ in promoting 

sustainable development. Without it, there will be negative impacts on the environment and possibly the EEZ. 

Jiangxi Province Transportation Department: There is a trend for the barges and other boats using Poyang Lake 

to be increasing in size. However, the lake is setting limits to this growth due to the low water levels in the five 

rivers flowing into the lake and in the channels of the lake itself during the winter season. The Water 

Conservancy Project will therefore greatly improve the navigability of the lake by increasing the water depth. 

This project will allow ships to reach all the counties around the lake and the construction of larger harbors. 

Jiangxi Province Environmental Protection Department: A recent study has shown that Poyang Lake has one of 

the best ecological conditions and water quality in China. However, the lake is now facing ecological difficulties 

with recent economic development. In order to maintain the lake’s ecological character, it is important to 

14

maintain the natural fluctuations in water levels that will be beneficial for water plants, fish migration, 

irrigation, food production and flood control. 

Jiangxi Province Agriculture Department: Poyang Lake supports some 100,000 fishermen and 18,000 fishing 

boats. Climate change and other factors have had a negative impact on the fishing industry and researchers 

from the CAS have found that the solution would be to increase the water level and area of the lake as would 

occur under the proposed Water Conservancy Project. This project would also improve conditions for the 

finless porpoise. However, the project may have negative impacts by blocking fish migration and so lead to a 

change in the fish community but this may not be too great. Similarly, the migratory route for the porpoises 

may be blocked, leading to genetic impacts on the population. 

Jiangxi Province Health Department: Some 4.7 million people living in the 38 counties around Poyang Lake are 

facing a serious problem with schistosomiasis. Freshwater snails are the main vector for the parasite that 

causes the disease in humans, living in the edges of the lake and the grassy islands in the lake which are grazed 

by livestock. The snails can be eliminated from the islands if the lake water level were to be raised above 16 

meters for an eight month period, as the islands would then be flooded. Maintaining such a high water level is 

thus important for control of the disease. 

Jiangxi Province Forestry Department: Some 15 protected areas have been established around Poyang Lake for 

waterbirds. Two of these are important on a national level, two on a provincial level, and 10 on a county level. 

The Poyang Lake National Nature Reserve receives financial support from the provincial, national and 

international levels to conduct a range of conservation, management and community based activities. There is 

a need to balance conservation and development for future generations. The proposed hydraulic project 

should be more conducive for biodiversity by carrying out dynamic management of water levels to avoid water 

shortages in all seasons. 

5. ISSUES CONSIDERED BY THE TEAM 

5.1 Information needs 

Officials from Jiangxi Province provided () information on the ecological character of Poyang Lake covering the 

biology, water chemistry and hydrology in particular. The information was largely provided during 

presentations and discussions with scientists and officials from the Province and indicated both the extent of 

available knowledge and the complexity of the lake ecosystem. Gaps in the information provided are expected 

to be further addressed in the six projects commissioned by the Province and referred to in Section 4.3 of this 

report. We were able to meet with the researchers from the Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources 

Research Institute in Beijing (an institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences) who are undertaking the 

investigations into the wetland and waterbirds. These discussions provided an introduction to the information 

being collated in their reports on the effects of the dam on the lake system and introduced some key issues 

that warrant further attention. However, the team did not see much of the scientific evidence that supports 

many of the statements made about the lake. 

Much of the case in support of constructing a water regulation system (with a dam and sluice gates seemingly 

the favoured option) across the outlet of the lake to the Yangtze River is based on the perception of recent 

extreme drying of the lake during the dry, winter season. However, the limited long‐term data provided to us 

(see Figures 3 and 4) suggest that the lowest water levels in recent winters are comparable to other periods in 

the recent past, although the duration of the low water period may have changed. Figure 3 presents a time 

series (1956‐2009) of measured monthly average water levels in Poyang Lake close to its confluence with the 

Yangtze River. Figure 4 shows a similar time series of flows from the lake into the Yangtze River. The figures 

illustrate both the seasonal and the inter‐annual variability in water‐levels and flows. Lake water‐levels 

15

typically range from a minimum of 7‐9 m in winter to a maximum of approximately 18‐21 m in summer. Flow 

typically varies from less than 1,000 m 3 s ‐1 in winter to in excess of 10,000 m 3 s ‐1 (occasionally > 13,000 m 3 s ‐1 ) in 

summer. Intermittent negative values in Figure 4 indicate flows from the Yangtze into the lake. Both graphs 

also suggest longer cycles of up to approximately 10 years, during which mean outflow and water‐levels are 

higher or lower than average. It is likely that these reflect natural cycles in rainfall and hence flow in the rivers 

discharging into the lake. Rigorous statistical analyses are required to confirm that the flow and water‐level 

regimes in recent years are significantly different from those that occurred in the past. 

Figure 3: Poyang Lake water levels (masl) measured close to the confluence with the Yangtze, 1956‐2009 

Figure 4: Flow (m 3 s ‐1 ) from Poyang Lake into the Yangtze, 1956‐2009 

If the current conditions are part of a natural cycle the responses for managing the water in the lake may be 

very different from those adopted in response to climate change or other anthropogenic activities. A careful 

examination of the data is required to ensure the historical context is understood and assessed as a basis for 

making decisions about regulating the lake through a sluice or other engineering structures, or how any 

structure could be operated to maintain the ecological character of the lake. 

Further examination of the flow data for the Yangtze River and the five rivers that flow into the lake can also 

assist in determining how changes in the flow along these rivers have affected the lake. The discussions 

indicated that changes in the flow interactions between the Yangtze and the lake had occurred and also that at 

least some of the inflowing rivers were now heavily regulated. The complex interaction with flows from the 

16

Yangtze and other rivers could be clearly shown through development of a hydraulic model. We were unsure of 

the extent of water regulation along the five rivers that flow into the Lake, or of plans to further regulate these 

rivers. Clarification of the current flow regimes and scenarios for the future would provide important 

information for decision‐makers considering the manner in which the lake may be managed in the future. We 

have not seen these data and do not have a clear understanding of either the historical or future context for 

water management and hence whether the option being proposed is the best. Alternative water regulation 

options that also support the natural flow regime of the lake may be available, for example by controlled 

releases of water from upstream dams combined with upgrading irrigation facilities and other water 

conservation measures. 

The case made by the officials for Jiangxi Province emphasized that the planned water control project would be 

designed to maintain the ecological character of the lake. While this objective is desirable and the case was 

clearly presented, we were not able to assess the data and discuss these in detail. In particular, we could not 

ascertain if any regulatory structures would enable the natural flow regime of the lake to be maintained, or if 

there were alternative regulatory approaches. 

5.2 Potential impacts on the submerged vegetation in the Lake 

As the lake is subject to a large input of nutrients from the catchment, the effect of increasing nutrient inflows 

on the vegetation should be examined. The potential for the lake to switch from an ecological state 

characterised by clear water and submerged macrophyte species (e.g., Vallisneria spp.) to one characterised by 

turbid water and high concentrations of phytoplankton should be explored further. It would be useful to 

develop a conceptual model of the lake to illustrate the complexity of the inter‐relationships among key 

components of the biota and the chemical and physical environment. In order for Poyang Lake to maintain its 

ecological character, it is imperative that the annual and inter‐annual variations in water level are maintained 

and as far as practical replicate normal conditions. It is unclear whether the proposed operation regime for the 

dam would restore the ecological character of the lake or would instead lead to significant change through high 

water levels during the colder half of the year. 

As the ecology of the lake is largely dependent on the flow patterns the management of any regulatory 

structures, such as a dam and sluice gates across the outlet, should be based on clear scientific evidence about 

the flow‐responses of major components of the biota. In particular, the responses of the vegetation in the lake 

to changes in the flow should be examined. These interactions could be examined in situ and supported by 

empirical modeling of the germination and growth characteristics of the main species as developed by van der 

Valk and others at the Iowa State University in the USA. It is anticipated that – in order to maintain the current 

vegetation communities in the lake ‐ the natural flow regime should be replicated through operation of water 

regulation structures with consideration of the upper and lower depth tolerances of these species and the 

seasonality and fluctuations in water depth that would have naturally occurred. 

The effect of increasing nutrient inflows on the vegetation should be examined. This assessment could be done 

through in situ investigation and correlation of the occurrence of particular species in different lakes with 

different nutrient levels, or through mesocosm experiments under controlled conditions, and through 

reference to the literature. An experimental approach using mesocosms (an enclosed and essentially selfsufficient, 

but not necessarily isolated experimental environment that is on a larger scale than a laboratory 

microcosm) could provide information specific to the conditions in the lake (Moss 2007) and provide guidance 

for the operation of any water regulatory structures. Such guidance is currently not available and would be 

difficult to compile without further evidence and the development of an appropriate conceptual model that 

could be used to explore the interactions between the plants, nutrients and water fluctuations. 

There appears to be growing risk that the lake might switch from an ecological state characterised by clear 

water and submerged macrophyte species (for Vallisneria spp.) to one characterised by turbid water and high 

concentrations of phytoplankton. Changes in ecological state of lakes and wetlands as a result of increased 

17

nutrient loads are well known and widely documented (Scheffer et al. 2001; Sim et al. 2006). There is initial 

evidence that this may be occurring in at least some of the lakes along the Yangtze River. Increased ponding 

and retention of water in Poyang Lake by the proposed dam may increase the potential for such changes, 

especially if the nutrient load within the lake is not reduced. The change in ecological state being described 

here is often considered as undesirable and near‐irreversible. That is, once the change has occurred it may not 

be possible to reverse it through treating the cause/s. While the primary cause is an increase in nutrients, the 

change may not be reversed by reducing the inflow of nutrients ‐ there may be sufficient nutrients already 

retained in the lake to maintain the changed conditions for a considerable time period. Reducing the nutrient 

inflow may not have an immediate effect, but continued inflow will exacerbate and deepen the problem to an 

extent that it could become intractable. 

The consequences of a change in ecological state of this type for the waterbirds, fish and mammals that use the 

lake could be extremely bad. For example, a switch from submerged macrophytes such as Vallisneria that 

produce tubers to a phytoplankton dominated system will most likely result in the loss of the major food 

source for many waterbirds. The development of floating leaved macrophytes, such as Trapa, is possible under 

these conditions, but will not replace the specific food sources that will be lost. Changes in the ecological state 

of lakes is a complex problem and is better avoided rather than treated once it has occurred – the latter may 

simply not be possible. A conceptual model of the nutrient‐plant interactions could be used to determine if 

such a change is likely for Poyang Lake. The abovementioned experimental approach using mesocosms could 

also provide valuable information. 

A key concern when considering the ecology of the lake and likely responses to a management regime imposed 

through a dam is the poor understanding of the inter‐relationships between the nutrient inflows and the biota 

of the lake and how these are affected by the hydrology. This is a complex, multi‐disciplinary issue and 

warrants further investigation. As a starting point, it could be very useful to develop a conceptual model of the 

lake to illustrate the complexity of the inter‐relationships among key components of the biota and the chemical 

and physical environment; such models have been used for a long time in limnological analyses of lakes with 

more recent pictorial models now also being available, such as those developed by the Queensland Wetland 

Program (http://www.epa.qld.gov.au/UAT/wetlandinfo/site/ScienceAndResearch/ConceptualModels.html). 

The initial conceptual models could then be used to more explicitly examine particular processes and 

interactions to ensure that the consequences of the changes in the hydrology of the lake are understood and 

the information made available to those responsible for managing the lake. Many examples of conceptual 

models for wetlands/lakes exist and could provide a working basis for developing a suitable model for Poyang 

Lake (as outlined in text books by Keddy 2000; Richardson 2008; Mitsch et al. 2009). 

5.3 Potential impacts Upon Migratory Waterbirds Wintering at Poyang Lake 

Poyang Lake and the other wetlands in the Yangtze River floodplain have extraordinary importance for cranes, 

waterfowl, and other waterbird species. Recent counts indicate that about 1.1 million individuals of 24 species 

of Anatidae winter in China, with about 80% in the Yangtze floodplain (Cao et al. 2008a). Poyang Lake is by far 

the most important of these wetlands for waterbirds. Over five years (1997‐2001), Poyang Lake had the largest 

winter count in East Asia, according to the Asian Waterbird Census – its 1997 count of 353,737 birds was 73% 

higher than any other location during this five‐year period (Li et al. 2004). 

Yet waterbird numbers in China have declined dramatically (see Cao et al. 2008a and 2008b), possibly 

indicating threats on both winter and breeding grounds. Lu (1996) estimated Anatidae numbers in China in the 

early 1990s at 3‐4 million, as compared to a current estimate of 1.1 million (Cao et al. 2008a). Goose 

populations in particular have declined. All five goose species (lesser white‐fronted goose Anser eryphropus, 

greater white‐fronted goose A. albifrons, bean goose A. fabalis, greylag goose A. anser, swan goose A. 

cygnoides) wintering regularly at Poyang Lake reflect these trends (Wetlands International 2006). Since the mid 

1980s, breeding populations of greater white‐fronted geese and bean geese– that migrate from the Arctic to 

China ‐‐ have declined by 80% and 65% respectively (Syroechkivskiy 2006). Swan geese, breeding in northeast 

18

China, southeast Russia and eastern Mongolia, have suffered repeated years of poor reproduction across large 

parts of the breeding range in recent years due to drought and human disturbance (O. Goroshko, N. 

Tseveenmyadag, and L. Su, personal communications). Over half the world population of the threatened swan 

goose winters at Poyang Lake. 

Accurate counts are very difficult at Poyang, so that it is more prudent to rely upon counts over multiple years. 

But numbers at Poyang seem to be holding steady or even increasing compared with earlier years, in contrast 

to other wetlands in the region (Cao et al. 2009, Cao Lei unpublished data, Ji et al. 2007). 

Poyang is also remarkable for its importance to numerous groups of birds with highly diverse feeding habits 

(Barzen 2008). The geese (other than the swan geese) belong to the grazing foraging guild that feeds primarily 

on grasses and sedges that occur on upper edges of the wetland; these plants grow during the cold season 

period when they are exposed to the air (see Barzen 2008). Siberian Grus leucogeranus, white‐naped G. vipio, 

and hooded cranes G. monacha, tundra swans Cygnus columbianus and swan geese form the tuber‐feeding 

foraging guild ‐‐ all feed on tubers of submerged aquatic plants, primarily Vallisneria. Water levels in both 

summer and winter are critical for these bird species. Summer water levels must be suited to growth of the 

plants (unlike the sedges and grasses, they are deep water specialists that grow during the warm seasons); 

during winter, Vallisneria is senescent, but the birds require shallow water or wet mud so that they can access 

the tubers. Deep water or dry mud prevents cranes and other birds from utilizing this food. Siberian cranes 

primarily feed at water depths < 30 cm, and occasionally up to 50 cm (Barzen 2008). If water levels were 

maintained at 14 or 16 meters above sea level ( Wu Song elevation) for even portions of the wintering period, 

almost all current habitat would be deeply submerged and tubers unavailable to the cranes. The few areas 

remaining would force the birds to forage near the upper edges of the wetland, where human disturbance is 

high (Barzen et al. 2009). Cranes, however, will not feed or roost near people at Poyang. 

Other birds form the fish‐eating foraging guild, including the oriental stork. Over 95% of this endangered 

species winters at Poyang. The oriental stork specializes in fish injured or trapped in shallows after water levels 

drop. Significant changes in winter water levels could remove this favored habitat and dramatically affect this 

species. 

Collectively these species depend on Poyang Lake in winter for survival. The condition of alternate habitats 

within the lower Yangtze River floodplain is declining (Fang et al. 2006). Dongting Lake, for example, has in 

recent years lost almost all its tuber feeding birds, while over the last five years, tuber‐feeding birds have 

drastically declined at Shengjin Lake (Fox et al. in press). Loss of Poyang Lake as foraging habitat due to high 

winter water levels would likely have catastrophic impact on a suite of threatened or declining species. 

If available habitats at Poyang Lake were reduced through dam construction or other development projects, 

would birds belonging to different foraging guilds find alternate habitats elsewhere? The Siberian crane is the 

best known of these species. The most recent waterbird surveys of the lower Yangtze River floodplain have 

found less than 0.5% of the world’s Siberian cranes utilizing wetlands outside of Poyang Lake (Barter et al. 

2005, Cao Lei unpublished data). Tundra swans, another tuber feeder, occur in other areas of the lower 

Yangtze River so tubers are likely available elsewhere. Most of these wetland areas, however, have water 

depths that are too deep for Siberian cranes to forage efficiently. Further, since winter areas of Siberian cranes 

were described in 1981, few records have ever occurred outside of Poyang Lake (Cheng 1987). It is unlikely 

that the Siberian cranes could persist if Poyang Lake were no longer available – a high risk of extinction for 

Siberian cranes would result from loss of Poyang Lake as a wintering habitat for this species. 

5.4 Potential impacts on finless porpoises and fisheries 

The finless porpoise (Neophocaena phocaenoides asiaeorientalis) is the only freshwater porpoise that lives in 

the Yantzse River main channel, and Dongting and Poyang Lakes are the two only naturally connected lakes 

with Yangtze River. In the past four years, the number of finless porpoise has declined rapidly, from 1800 in 

2006 to 1200 in 2010 (Anonymous 2010). The population within Poyang Lake is estimated to be around 400 

19

individuals (Zhao 2008). This alarming decline has mainly been due to increased threats from navigation, over 

fishing, water pollution and hydro‐engineering projects. 

Finless porpoises migrate from the lakes to the Yangtze River and from Yangtze to the lakes according to the 

food and water situation. Fish migration has a close relation with number of porpoises. The porpoise will follow 

fish groups that move from Yangtze to the lake during the spawning season in spring and vice versa (Wei et al. 

2002) The other important reason for porpoise migration is the genetic movement for porpoise healthy group 

according to the recent research results from Chinese Academy of Sciences (Xia et al. 2004). Any hydraulic 

project that cut off the migrate routes would highly affect the safety of this species both in its food and living 

environment, and finally could cause a genetically isolated group of Poyang porpoises and decrease the total 

number due to group weakness. 

In another way, the hydraulic project is subject to changing the natural hydrologic situation, decrease the flow 

and capacities of self‐purification, and drastically change the environment of the aqua‐biological system which 

in turn, will degrade the habitat of the porpoise. 

5.5 Potential impacts on Poyang Lake Nature Reserve and other nature reserves in 

Poyang Lake 

The Jiangxi Government deserves strong praise for its efforts for wetland projection over the past 25 years. In 

particular, a network of nature reserves has been established across the Poyang Lake basin, including two 

national reserves, two provincial level reserves, and 15 reserves at the county level. The migratory waterbirds 

depend on highly variable habitat conditions, primarily due to fluctuations in water and food availability, and 

accordingly depend on access to diverse habitats spread across the lake. 

If after discussion using the best available scientific data, it is decided that the proposed dam should be built, 

the dam will need to be managed in a way that can restore the complex and incredibly important hydrological 

conditions that have characterized the lake over the last five decades. In this case, it may be possible that 

migratory waterbirds will continue to find suitable roosting and feeding conditions within PLNR and the other 

nature reserves. While the water control structure might benefit birds by preventing extremely low water 

levels in winter, the fluctuations within and between years are vital to the ecology of waterbirds and their 

foods. Low winter water levels in the part of the lake near PLNR should fluctuate around the historic average 

lows of 12.0 meters above sea level (Wu Song elevation) as recorded at Wucheng. In winter, there are 

significant differences in water levels within the lake basin ‐ water levels exhibit a slope, with higher water 

levels in the south and lower levels in the north near the Yangtze. Therefore the corresponding water levels at 

Xingzi should fluctuate around the historic winter low water levels of 9.0 meters Wu Song. Due to the flat 

topography and interconnected hydrology of the entire lake basin, significant changes to the lake system (for 

example, maintaining water at 14 or 16 meters Wu Song near Wucheng) would change the ecological character 

of all or almost all of the nature reserves in the lake. In particular, significantly higher water levels in late 

autumn, winter, or early spring (as compared to the past decades of records) would submerge all current 

shallows and mudflats significant to waterbirds. At 14 meters or 16 meters Wu Song, vegetation might shift 

upward in the basin but would occur over much smaller areas and in close proximity to upland areas with levels 

of human activity that might be impossible for waterbirds to tolerate (Barzen et al. 2009). Note, however, that 

winter water levels of 12 meters at Xingzi would be accompanied by water levels perhaps 2 meters or more 

higher than normal in mid winter at PLNR, with the significant negative impacts just described. 

Under such conditions, there might be opportunity to shift the boundaries of PLNR and other reserves in 

response to changes in vegetation distribution and bird feeding areas , but such upshore shifts in the reserve 

boundaries will be limited because of the proximity of human habitation and activities. Overall the extent of 

foraging habitat available to most foraging guilds would be severely reduced due to increased water levels. 

It may be possible separately to manage water to provide waterbird habitat in areas that lose their connection 

in winter to the rivers or main body of the lake – such as some of the nine lakes within PLNR or certain 

20

peripheral areas including reservoirs such as Shi Xia Hu that has in the past provided significant waterbird 

habitat. Yet data over the past 11 years for Dahu Chi and Sha Hu, two of the most important of the nine lakes 

in PLNR, indicate that these relatively small wetlands do not support significant numbers of all foraging guilds 

at once and very seldom (if ever) have most or all of the winter populations present for any of the threatened 

species such as Siberian cranes or oriental storks. For the vast majority of the time, these birds are dispersed 

across multiple locations. It is highly unlikely that relatively small areas could be artificially managed to sustain 

400,000 waterbirds for 5‐6 months every winter into the indefinite future. Even if most years provided food 

for the cranes, for example, failure of Vallisneria in just one or two years out of ten could cause widespread 

mortality. 

In addition, if high water levels are maintained in Poyang Lake, it becomes difficult to lower water levels within 

impoundments that are intensively managed for winter waterfowl habitat by gravity outflow. Between 14 and 

15 m Wu Song it would become increasingly necessary to actively pump water out of the impoundments for 

proper winter water management to occur. Above 16 m Wu Song it would not be possible to maintain 

separate basins without constructing additional levees to isolate the lakes. Isolation of the lakes by 

constructing levees, however, may cause water clarity in summer to decline, that would decrease Vallisneria 

productivity and winter waterfowl habitat quality. 

Given future uncertainties due to changes in the watershed and in climate, active management of these lakes 

should be undertaken on an experimental basis to ensure the ecological character is maintained, with careful 

monitoring so that we can learn more about how to sustain habitats for waterbirds and, where necessary, 

adjust the management to ensure this occurs. The importance of doing this at a whole‐of‐lake scale and within 

a watershed context is again emphasized. 

5.6 Design and management of a dam 

It is premature for detailed planning and so currently there is very little information on the likely design of the 

hydraulic structure (i.e., the dam) that might be constructed at the outlet of Poyang Lake. However, “current 

thinking” is that the dam will be constructed between low hills (Pingfeng and Changling) at the narrowest point 

of the channel that connects the lake to the Yangtze River, close to the town of Xingzi. This point, 

approximately 27 km upstream of the confluence with the Yangtze, is 2,800 m wide and the total dam width 

(including buttressing on either side) would be 2,986 m. The dam would comprise a large number of sluice 

gates (16‐20 m wide). These gates would vary in height, from 1‐5 m, depending on their exact position across 

the channel. They could be lowered and raised in different combinations to enable complete control of the 

outflow from Poyang Lake (Figure 5). A ship lock would be built on the west side of the dam to enable the 

passage of ships between the lake and the Yangtze River. A fish pass would be constructed on the east bank to 

enable the movement of fish at times when all the sluice gates are closed. 

Figure 5: Artists impression of the possible dam to be constructed at the outlet of Poyang Lake. 

21

Detailed plans for the operation of the dam have not yet been developed. However, it is anticipated that the 

dam will be operated to fulfill a number of socio‐economic objectives (i.e., ensuring the free movement of 

ships and providing water for irrigation and supply to towns and villages) as well as ecological objectives (i.e., 

maintenance of the lake ecology and provision of habitat for waterbirds) and also fulfilling downstream needs 

in the Lower Yangtze. With these objectives in mind, it is envisaged that the dam operation will be divided into 

a regime comprising four broad periods each year (Table 1). 

Table 1: 

Months 

April to August (wet season) 

Potential operating regime of the dam at the outlet from Poyang Lake 

September (end of wet season) 

October 

November – March 

Operating regime 

All sluice gates open. The lake fully connected to the Yangtze River 

All sluice gates closed to store the last of the inflowing flood and to 

ensure water levels in the lake reach approximately 17.5 m 

Some sluice gates open and some closed. Water levels in the lake 

allowed to drop to approximately 16 m 

Some sluice gates open and some closed. Gates operated to draw water 

levels down in accordance with downstream needs as well as the habitat 

requirements of migratory birds but also to maintain lake water levels for 

shipping and water supply. 

Principal concerns associated with the potential dam are: 

The operation will reduce the natural variability in lake water‐levels. Naturally both the seasonal and interannual 

variation of water levels is high as the lake “stores” only a relatively small proportion of the total 

inflow. Even when full (i.e., water level 22.6 m) the total storage is 34 Bm 3 (i.e., 24% of the mean annual 

runoff of 143.6 Bm 3 ). Although the design of the dam is such that this variability could be replicated, 

because of the needs of shipping and water supply, it seems likely that a less variable pattern – the 

ecological consequences of which are difficult to predict ‐ will be imposed on the lake. 

Dry season water‐levels will be maintained at too high a level. Again, in principle it will be possible to draw 

down the water levels to mimic the natural dry season condition. However, because this objective 

conflicts with the needs of shipping and water supply, in practice it is probable that water levels will be 

maintained at higher than natural levels. This action could have a devastating impact on the natural 

ecology of the lake (including the waterbirds) which has adapted to the naturally low levels that occur. 

The lake’s connection with the Yangtze will be disrupted. The sluice gates will enable a near full connection 

with the Yangtze and this is a far better design than a solid dam. Nevertheless, because of the buttresses 

needed to support each gate, the connection with the Yangtze will not be natural. The ecological 

implications of this are not clear. For instance, it is not known if the finless porpoise will navigate through 

open gates, even if they are 20 m across. 

5.7 Influences due to development within the lake basin 

Approximately 44 million people live in the Poyang Lake basin. Upstream development has modified flows on 

all five of the major rivers that flow into the lake. Water is abstracted for upstream irrigation as well as for 

urban and rural water supply. The exact figures on the amount of water abstracted and the total irrigated area 

were unavailable for this study. Nevertheless, it is known that upstream abstractions are substantial. Within 

22

the basin a huge number of medium and small dams (> 3,000) and several large dams have been constructed. 

For example, at least 15 large dams (storing a combined total of several billion m 3 ) have been built on the Gan 

River and its tributaries. As well as facilitating abstraction, thereby reducing the total flow, these may have 

altered the timing of inflows into the lake. 

Although the details are not yet known, additional upstream development is anticipated from the Poyang Lake 

Eco‐Economic Development Zone that is currently being planned. This development, in conjunction with 

population rise and possible climate change, is likely to further increase pressure on the basin’s water 

resources and, if not anticipated and mitigated, may well lead to additional ecological stress within the Lake. In 

this context it is suggested that the Basin should be managed as a single system. Whether or not the dam is 

built at the outlet of the Poyang Lake, all the hydraulic infrastructure within the basin should be operated in an 

integrated manner and effectively treated as a single system. Detailed evaluation is needed to confirm, but it is 

possible that some of the negative ecological phenomena that are believed to be currently occurring within the 

lake, and may occur in future, could be mitigated by modifying the operating regimes of the existing and 

planned upstream dams. For example, it might be possible to make larger releases from upstream dams in the 

dry season in order to prevent the lake level dropping to ecologically harmful levels. This measure and other 

possibilities should be investigated in detail before the option of building a new dam at the outlet from Poyang 

Lake is finalized. Alternatives to the Poyang Lake dam need to be fully considered and reasons (together with 

supportive data) given to why they have been rejected prior to deciding to proceed with construction of the 

Poyang Lake dam. 

5.8 Possible negative impacts from longterm climate variability and change 

With a long history of the evolution of Poyang Lake, the dry and flood periods have altered during its life time. 

Historical sites have been found in the lake basin from different times during the last 2000 years, many of them 

are ancient buildings of villages and towns, and others are farmland located in the present water body in the 

center of the lake (Su 1992). These discoveries show that the lake has several times dried and flooded during 

the history of human settlement in response to medium‐term climate cycles. Recent research shows that the 

cycles can be 11, 22 or 30 years and will have strong temporary impacts on the freshwater and wetland 

ecosystem (Zhu 2007). Recent extreme weather since 2004 has also contributed to the low water levels in 

Poyang Lake, with adverse consequences for both people and wildlife, especially in the droughts in 2007 and 

2008. 

As stated above, Poyang Lake is a flood plain lake with water fluctuations of 13 m within a year providing a 

wide range of natural wetlands with diversified land features and habitats for wintering birds and other key 

species. These features underpin the international importance of the wetland, as recognized by its listing under 

the Ramsar Convention. Ongoing climate variability and change, including further extreme events, raise a 

number of issues that warrant further attention: 

The ecological character of the lake has been established over a long‐time period in response to variability 

in climate and the hydrology across the watershed. The current character of the lake is a combination of 

events and processes over long and shorter time scales, including the impact of recent human‐induced 

climate change. In managing the lake it is important that the influence of these changes and their interrelationships 

are well understood – failure to do so could result in ill‐informed and inappropriate 

management decisions being made. Lack of awareness of natural processes of the Central Yangtze 

wetland ecosystem and its biodiversity, based on a short time series of extreme weather data could result 

in the implementation of major engineering‐related solutions with unexpected negative impacts on the 

water levels and ecology of the lake. 

Over the past millennium people and nature have together shaped the character and existing values of the 

lake with a central water body and adjacent smaller sub‐lakes ringed or partly ringed by ancient low dykes 

that could be used as to regulate water levels and water retention, forming habitats that support the 

23

Siberian crane and other wintering birds, and which in summer are merged by floodwater. Based on 

investigations by different agencies and using different approaches the total number of wintering birds on 

the lake varied from around 730,000 to 130,000 over the period 2004 to 2009. The variation has been 

attributed to the influence of water levels as well as different survey methods and equipment and 

experience of the observers. An average of 30‐60 % of the wintering birds occurred in Poyang Lake 

National Nature Reserve and Nanji Shan National Nature Reserve, with many other birds being distributed 

in other regions of Poyang Lake. These data should be further investigated using standardized methods to 

further elaborate the importance of fluctuating water levels on the wintering populations. 

The effect of long‐term climate variability and climate change and interactions with other land and water 

management activities across the watershed ‐‐ for example, the impact of dams on the rivers flowing into 

Poyang ‐‐ needs further investigation within the context of the project to dam the outflow of the lake. The 

current proposal has been made within the context of a recent drought and lower water levels and would 

benefit from further analysis of the long‐term changes to identify the importance of climate cycles on the 

water flows and storage of water in the lake during the drier period of the year. As a complex of factors 

seems responsible for the recent low winter water levels, a more thorough investigation of these factors 

and the effectiveness of alternative solutions should be carried out over a period of years. The recent 

changes, occurring over a very short span of time, are very difficult to evaluate without the collection of 

more data over the next years. 

6. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 

The Ramsar team of experts highly appreciated Jiangxi Province’s effort to seek external technical input, and 

the opportunity for our team to visit Poyang Lake and discuss the project with the relevant agencies. Given 

the importance of Jiangxi’s wetland conservation efforts, we would be pleased to assist further as needed. 

Jiangxi’s concerted effort to improve water quality is an extremely important aspect of safeguarding Poyang 

wetlands. We applaud Jiangxi’s commitment to these activities for both the lake basin and Poyang’s extensive 

watershed. 

The team wishes to stress that the recent problem with perceived ecological change in the wetlands at Poyang 

Lake needs to be more thoroughly substantiated, based on quantitative data, with the causes for these 

changes investigated. This assessment should include rigorous statistical analyses to confirm that in recent 

years water levels in Poyang Lake have, as is widely perceived, been declining more rapidly and lower than they 

have done historically. The relative importance of construction of the Three Gorges Dam, of water regulation 

on the five rivers feeding into Poyang, and of withdrawals of water for human use upstream and within the 

Basin of Poyang Lake, upon lake levels should be determined. 

Given the extraordinary importance of Poyang Lake for the local ecology and economy, and for global 

biodiversity values, the team would also like to stress that full consideration should be given to alternative 

measures for addressing these changes in order to maintain or restore the ecological character of Poyang Lake. 

The relative costs and benefits of these alternatives can be compared with the proposed dam under different 

design scenarios and with one another so that the most effective solutions can be selected. Possible 

alternatives include modifying the operating regimes on existing and planned dams upstream of the lake 

and/or the operating regime of the Three Gorges Dam. Reasons as to why these (and other possibilities) have 

been rejected should be given prior to deciding to proceed with the dam at the lake outlet. 

One strategy that should be considered as part of alternative solutions would be Payment for Ecosystem 

Services, where Jiangxi could receive significant development support to compensate for development 

opportunities foregone in order to sustain ecosystem benefits of regional or global significance. 

24

It is never possible to achieve all the possible socio‐economic benefits that a dam might provide while 

simultaneously fully protecting the environment. Nevertheless, in many circumstances the sustainability of a 

project will be enhanced if some socio‐economic benefits are foregone in order to protect the environment. 

Because the dam is now being considered, we have the following strong recommendations for safeguarding 

the ecology of the Poyang Lake, if the dam were to be built. By incorporating these considerations now into 

plans for the dam, its benefits and impacts can be better compared to other options for Poyang Lake 

Ensure that environmental concerns are dealt with throughout the planning process. Detailed plans for 

dam operation need to be developed early in the design phase. This aspect should not be left, as is 

commonly done, until near the end of the project planning. 

Mimic the natural variability as closely as possible. International experience indicates that where wetlands 

need to be managed artificially, the best outcomes occur when management attempts to maintain or 

restore natural variability and the characteristic ecology of the site, based on data from past years. Even 

though there will be implications for shipping, irrigation and rural and urban water supply, this variability 

should include drawing down the lake to near natural levels every year. Computer models could be 

developed to predict the pattern of natural water levels given specific rainfall and hence flow conditions in 

the Lake basin. These simulations could be used to guide the exact pattern of opening and closing of sluice 

gates in order to simulate the natural levels as closely as possible. 

Never close all the sluice gates. It is anticipated that all the sluice gates will be closed for a number of 

weeks in September. However, though it would take longer, it would be possible to fill the lake even with 

some gates left open. This adjustment would maintain a better connection with the Yangtze throughout 

the year. It might also do away with the need for a fish ladder – fish ladders can be very costly and are 

often ineffective for many fish species. 

6.1 Information gaps: 

A large amount of information was provided on the ecological character of Poyang Lake covering the 

biology, water chemistry and hydrology in particular. The information was largely provided during 

presentations and discussions with scientists and officials, but was not seen by the Ramsar team. The six 

reports being prepared by scientific research teams should be made publicly available as soon as possible 

and preferably considered in an open scientific forum to support efforts to integrate the information. 

Much of the case in support of constructing a water regulation system (with a dam and sluice gates 

seemingly the favoured option) across the outlet of the lake to the Yangtze River is based on the recent 

extreme drying of the lake during the dry season. Further attention should be directed towards examining 

the rainfall and water level/flow data and focus on the historical rainfall and water level patterns and 

provide a context for the current low levels of water in the dry season. This comparison would help 

ascertain the extent to which the current conditions are part of a natural short or long‐term cycle of 

rainfall change, the result of human activities within the watershed, or due to anthropogenic climate 

change. 

Further examination of the flow data for the Yangtze River and the five rivers that flow into the Lake can 

also assist in determining how changes in the flow along these rivers have affected the lake. The 

discussions indicated that changes in the flow interactions between the Yangtze and the lake had occurred 

and also that at least some of the inflowing rivers were also now heavily regulated. The complex 

interaction with flows from the Yangtze and other rivers could be clearly shown through development of a 

hydrological and an inter‐connected ecological response model. 

25

6.2 Potential impacts on the submerged vegetation in the Lake 

As the lake is subject to a large input of nutrients from the catchment, the effect of increasing nutrient 

inflows on the vegetation should be examined. The potential for the lake to switch from an ecological 

state characterised by clear water and submerged macrophyte species (e.g., Vallisneria spp.) to one 

characterised by turbid water and high concentrations of phytoplankton should be explored. 

As the ecology of the lake is largely dependent on the flow patterns, the management of any regulatory 

structures, such as a dam and sluice gates across the outlet, should be based on clear scientific evidence 

about the flow‐responses of major components of the biota. In particular, the responses of the vegetation 

in the lake to changes in the flow should be examined. These interactions could be examined in situ and 

supported by empirical modeling of the germination and growth characteristics of the main plant species. 

The effect of increasing nutrient inflows on the vegetation should be examined. This could be done 

through in situ investigation and correlation of the occurrence of particular species in different lakes with 

different nutrient levels, or through mesocosm experiments under controlled conditions, and through 

reference to the literature. An experimental approach using mesocosms could provide information specific 

to the conditions in the lake and provide guidance for the operation of any water regulatory structures. 

A key concern when considering the ecology of the lake and likely responses to a management regime 

imposed through a dam is the poor understanding of the inter‐relationships between the nutrient inflows 

and the biota of the lake and how these are affected by the hydrology. This is a complex, multi‐disciplinary 

issue and warrants further investigation. As a starting point, it could be very useful to develop a 

conceptual model of the lake to illustrate the complexity of the inter‐relationships among key components 

of the biota and the chemical and physical environment. 

6.3 Potential impacts on migratory waterbirds and other animals 

Given the severe stresses on wetlands and waterbirds in the mid Yangtze Basin, and the uncertain impacts 

of further changes to the system, it is essential to avoid significant changes to seasonal water levels as well 

as timing and the patterns of fluctuation characteristic of Poyang Lake. If the dam is built, its operation 

can be guided by hydrologic characteristics of Poyang Lake over the past decades. Restoring/maintaining 

natural fluctuations is essential to maintaining the productivity of the wetlands. Hence, if the dam is to be 

built, detailed plans for dam operation must be determined early in the design phase of project planning. 

Intensive management of small areas such as Dahu Chi can bring substantial benefits and should be 

undertaken but such small areas will not be capable of sustaining large number of waterbirds of diverse 

foraging guilds over the long term. 

Decisions about Poyang Lake need to take into account the regional situation. Bird species belonging to 

the tuber‐feeding guild, for example, are especially threatened as are the submerged aquatic plants such 

as Vallisneria on which they depend. Poyang Lake is likely the last extensive habitat available to species 

belonging to this foraging guild, and their conservation should be a high priority. 

Given the long‐term decline in most waterbird species, and the loss of extensive habitats in their breeding, 

migratory, and wintering areas, a precautionary approach needs to be applied to management of 

populations and habitats for waterbirds and other rare aquatic animals. Where there are knowledge gaps 

for species such as Siberian crane or finless porpoise, decisions should avoid further risks to survival of the 

species until the needed research can be completed. For example, is there conclusive research 

demonstrating that the sluice gates when open would effectively allow passage of finless porpoise? For an 

endangered and declining species, it is essential not to further fragment its populations. 

Due to the limited time available to the team during their visit, it was not possible to fully assess the 

impacts of the proposed dam on the fish and the finless porpoise (Neophocaena phocaenoides 

26

asiaeorientalis) that migrate between the Yangtze River and Poyang Lake. However, the scientific data that 

the team has seen indicates that the dam will likely act as a barrier to migration and so have a negative 

impact on both the populations of fish (many of which are of economic importance) and of the finless 

porpoise. This is clearly an area where further review of the scientific literature is needed. 

6.4 Policy 

6.4.1 Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM) approach 

In the early 1980s, the Jiangxi Provincial government embarked on the innovative ‘Mountain, River and 

Lake Development and Management Project’, to take a comprehensive approach to the sustainable 

management and development of the mountains and rivers. In view of the increasing population and 

development pressures in the Poyang Lake Basin, such an Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM) 

approach to development in and around Poyang Lake needs to be strengthened. A representative 

management committee for implementing this should be established comprising representatives from key 

agencies and stakeholders. Models adopted in other countries or regions could be examined to identify 

key features for a suitable operating structure for the Lake. Examples occur in the Mekong Basin, Chilika 

Lake in India, the Great Lakes in Canada/USA, the Danube River in Europe, and the Okavango and Nile 

Basins Rivers in Africa. The Ramsar Secretariat could advise on suitable examples and organizations. 

Developing links with such organizations and exchanging information and experience in managing complex 

ecological systems could provide a long‐lasting and constructive basis for improving environmental 

management. 

An independent technical advisory committee should also be established to provide scientific advice to the 

above mentioned management committee and to review the technical information collected by 

researchers and monitoring organizations. It may be useful to include international expertise in this 

committee, possibly facilitated through the Secretariat of The Ramsar Convention. 

During the team’s visit, they heard representatives from the various Jiangxi government departments 

speak about a range of development, health and ecological issues facing Poyang Lake and the people living 

in and around it. Many of the representatives then spoke about the need to construct the proposed dam 

as a solution to addressing those issues. However, there are likely to be a range of alternative solutions 

which can also be effective and these should also be investigated. 

6.4.2 Assessment of the effect of the proposed Poyang Lake hydraulic project 

The Jiangxi Provincial government should conduct Strategic Environmental Assessments (SEA) and 

Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) of all the projects under consideration. Such assessments should 

also be carried out on all stages of those projects, i.e. at the planning phase, site location phase, design 

phase and operation phase. 

6.4.3 Scientific support for development of policy 

Following guidelines established under the Ramsar Convention, the process to assess the effect of the 

proposed hydraulic project should be independent, balanced and transparent, to take into account the 

views of the various government departments, scientists and experts, and other relevant stakeholders. At 

the end, the decision making process would benefit from hearing the wide range of comments, and 

stakeholders would be more supportive of the eventual outcome. 

As a result, it is proposed that when the six expert teams have completed their draft reports on their 

particular investigations, that a meeting be held with the interested scientific community. Each of the 

27

teams would present the results of their report and the audience be allowed to provide comments. 

Similarly before the final report from integration of all the reports from the six teams is finalized, a second 

open meeting should be held when comments from the scientific audience will be permitted. 

6.4.4 Other obligations under the Ramsar Convention 

During the visit, many scientists and government representatives repeated that Poyang Lake is drying out 

earlier and for longer periods each winter. This change appears to be the basis for the argument to 

construct the proposed water control structure at the mouth of Poyang Lake. If so, then the ecological 

character of the lake and the Ramsar site is changing and the State Forestry Administration should notify 

the Secretariat formally of this change as required under Article 3.2 of the Convention. 

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29

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 

Many people contributed to making the Ramsar team’s visit so well organized and constructive. In particular, 

the Ramsar team would like to thank Mr. Wu Xinxiong , the Governor of Jiangxi Province for approving the visit 

and for his time in holding open discussions with the team. The Jiangxi Province Forest Department issued the 

invitation to the Ramsar Secretariat to form a team for the visit. Mr. Zhan Chungsen (Vice‐director, Jiangxi 

Province Forestry Department) and Luo Shengjin (Deputy‐director, Poyang Lake NNR) arranged a visit for the 

team to the Education Centre of the Poyang Lake NNR, and accompanied the team throughout their visit. Mr. 

Sun Xiaoshan (Director, Water Resources Department) and Mr. Zhu Laiyou (Vice‐Director, Water Resource 

Department, and Director, Office of the Key Water Project at Poyang Lake) provided support in arranging a visit 

by boat to Poyang Lake to visit the site of the proposed dam. Mr. Ji Weitao (Vice‐director, Office of the Key 

Water Project at the Poyang Lake) also accompanied the team during its visit and provided answers to many 

questions asked by the team. 

In Beijing, we would like to thank Mr. Ma Guangrun (General Director) and his team from the Convention on 

Wetlands Management Office, SFA (Mr. Yen Chenggao and Ms. Xiao Hong) for assisting Jiangxi Province in 

contacting the Ramsar Secretariat to form an expert team to visit Poyang Lake, and for meeting with us during 

our visit. 

The team would also like to thank the many people who provided information to us, such as the 

representatives from various government departments in Jiangxi Province, and the scientist and experts from 

the CAS and universities. 

Finally, we would like to thank Mr. Xiong Chaoyi (Jiangxi Province Forestry Department) and Mr. Ji Wenyuan 

(SFA) for assisting with the logistical support in organizing the visit, and Mr. Leng Saimeng (Jiangxi Province 

Foreign Affairs and Overseas Chinese Affairs Office) who acted as interpreter for the team throughout its visit. 

30

ANNEX 1: Visit itinerary 

Monday 12 April, 2010 

(pm) arrival in Beijing. 

Tuesday 13 April, 2010 

09:00—11:00 meet with The Convention on Wetlands Management Office, State Forestry Administration 

14:00—16:00 meet with experts who can update the team on the proposed dam project 

19:25 fly to Nanchang. 

21:40 arrive in Nanchang 

Wednesday 14 April, 2010 

07:00—07:40 breakfast 

07:40—12:30 travel to Poyang Lake NNR 

12:30—13:30 lunch 

13:30—15:00 return to Nanchang 

17:00—17:40 meeting with the Governor of Jiangxi Provincial Government and other top officials 

17:40 dinner 

Thursday 15 April, 2010 


07:40—12:00 boat visit to Poyang Lake and site of the proposed hydrological structure 

12:00—13:00 lunch 

13:00—14:30 back to Nanchang 

15:30—18:30 meet with relevant Jiangxi Provincial government departments 

18:30 dinner 

Friday 16 April, 2010 


08:30—12:00 (cont.) meeting with representatives from Jiangxi Province government departments 

12:00—13:15 lunch 

13:15 go to airport 

15:00 fly to Beijing 

Evening stay over in Beijing 

Saturday 17 April, 2010 

Depart from Beijing 

31

ANNEX 2: Individuals/Institutions consulted by the Team 

Tuesday, 13 April, 2010 (am): meeting at The Convention on Wetlands Management Office, State Forestry 

Administration (SFA), Beijing 

Name Title/designation Organization/institution 

MA Guangrun Director General The Convention on Wetlands 

Management Office, P. R. China 

YEN Chenggao 

XIAO Hong 

Ramsar National Focal Point 

Deputy Director General 

Deputy Division Chief and Senior 

Engineer 

State Forestry Administration 

The Convention on Wetlands 



The Division of Ramsar Convention and 

International Cooperation , 




JI Wenyuan Officer The Division of Ramsar Convention and 

International Cooperation , 




ZHAN Chunsen Deputy Director Jiangxi Provincial Forestry Department 

LUO Shengjin 

Deputy Director, 

Poyang Lake National Nature Reserve 

Jiangxi Provincial Forestry Department 

JI Weitao Deputy Director Office of the Key Water Project at the 

Poyang Lake, Jiangxi Province 

32

Tuesday, 13 April, 2010 (pm): meeting at Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research 

(IGSNRR), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing 


LI Wenhua, Academician IGSNRR, CAS 

LEI Guangchun Professor Beijing Forestry University 

LEI Fumin Professor Institute of Zoology, CAS 

ZHEN Lin Professor IGSNRR, CAS 

QIAN Fawen Associate Professor Chinese Academy of Forestry 

JIANG Ming Associate Professor Northeast Institute of Geography and 

Agroecology, CAS 

CAO Lei Associate Professor University of Science and Technology of 

China 

YU Xiubo Associate Professor IGSNRR, CAS 

JIANG Luguang Associate Professor IGSNRR, CAS 

Wednesday, 14 April, 2010 (pm): meeting with top officials from the Jiangxi Provincial People’s Government 


WU Xinxiong Governor Jiangxi Provincial People’s Government 

LING Cheng Xing Executive Vice‐Governor Jiangxi Provincial People’s Government 

CHEN Daheng Vice‐Governor Jiangxi Provincial People’s Government 

HU Zhenpeng Vice‐Chairman Jiangxi Provincial People's Congress 

ZHU Xi Vice Secretary‐General Jiangxi Provincial People’s Government 

SUN Xiaoshan Director Jiangxi Water Resource Department 

ZHU Laiyou Vice‐Director Jiangxi Water Resource Department 

33

15 April (pm) and 16 April (am): meeting with representatives from different Jiangxi Provincial People’s 

Government departments concerned with the proposed hydraulic project 


XIONG Jijie 

FANG Hongya 

Director, Office Responsible for 

Schistosoma Prevention 

Director, Jiangxi Province Environmental 

Science Research Institute 

Jiangxi Province Health Department 

Jiangxi Province Environmental 

Protection Department 

JI Weitao Vice‐director Office of the Key Water Project at the 

Poyang Lake, Jiangxi 

ZHAN Chungsen Vice director, Jiangxi Province Forestry Department 

SUN Xiaoshan Director Jiangxi Province Water Resource 

Department 

ZHU Laiyou Vice‐director Jiangxi Province Water Resource 

Department 

QI Hong Vice‐director Office of the Key Water Project at the 


ZHENG Guoping 

Vice director, Office Responsible for Rural 

Economy 

Jiangxi Province Reform and 

Development Department 

HUANG Xiaoping Vice‐director, Fisheries Bureau Jiangxi Province Agriculture 

Department 

LUO Chun Deputy Chief Engineer Jiangxi Province Transportation 

Department 

ZHANG Bin Senior Engineer Office of the Key Water Project at the 


XIONG Chaoyi Officer Poyang Lake NNR 

LENG Saimeng Translator Jiangxi Province Foreign Affairs and 

Overseas Chinese Affairs Office 

34

Report on Ramsar visit to Poyang Lake Ramsar site, P.R. China,

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