Lake Aibi Basin, Xinjiang, China

The World Bank and the government of the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region is NW China are working together to design a GEF project which will increase the area of the salty Lake Aibi. Years of unsustainable extraction of water in the basin to irrigate cotton have reduced the area of the lake and the exposed sediments are a major source of fine dust which is blown by strong winds funneled through the Alashan Gap towards eastern China. Since the lake is an important site for migratory birds and a National Nature Reserve an increase in lake area will also benefit biodiversity. The nature reserve also faces problems due to grazing by livestock owned by nomadic herders.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• water
• salt
• environment
• biodiversity
• lake
• aibi
• xinjiang
• china
• nature
• reserve
• unsustainable
• camel
• birds

[bleupeony2]

Uighurs herd the goats.

[bhaihay]

Like the Aral Sea, it is going to die unless the Chinese government does something serious about it.