Restoration of Pastureland Ecosystems: Case Study of Western Inner Mongolia

Western Inner Mongolia is located in the downstream area of the Hei River Basin, the second largest inland basin in China. Since the 1960s, water depletion in the basin has increased very rapidly due to intensive irrigation development in the middle stream area of the Basin. As a result, the downstream Erjina Oasis gradually receded and the destination inland lake disappeared. In the late 1990s, the Chinese government initialized activities for the ecological restoration of the region, including annual flow releases to downstream by administrative order. These releases have contained further degradation of the ecosystem. The challenge that needs to be addressed now is how the short-term administered flow releases can be converted into sustainable water management practices. In particular, research on the determination of environmental flow requirement and livestock carrying capacity will be important for decision making support in the sustainable development of the region.