Environmental Vulnerability，EcosystemResilience and Debris Flow Disasters

Li Yongxiang

（ Ethnic Literature Research Institute， Yunnan Academy of Social Sciences，

Kunming，650034， Yunnan， China）

JOURNAL OF ETHNOLOGY， VOL. 6， NO.4， 50-58， 2015 （CN51-1731/C， in

Chinese）  DOI：10.3969/j.issn.1674-9391.2015.04. 07

Abstract：

The Dongchuan district of Kunming，Yunnan is a place where debris flows happens frequently.As a result， the district is called a “natural museum of debris flow disasters”.This article will analyze the causes of debris flows in Dongchuan， management approaches， and the impacts of the disaster on the local people from the perspective of anthropology.It will reflect environmental vulnerability， ecosystem resilience， and their anthropological significance. Moreover， this article will also propose some suggestions on solving the problems of debris flow in Dongchuan from the angle of anthropology.

Debris flow disasters in Dongchuan are a result of environmental degradation. Due to the long-term influence of debris flow disasters， Dongchuan has been a concern of scholars both domestic and foreign. Concerning the solution of this problem of debris flows in this region， it is regarded as a typical model in the comprehensive management of debris flows. If we say that the important approach for reducing debris flow disasters is to rely on decreasing environmental vulnerability and increasing revitalization of the environmental system， then， the Dongchuan model has both a theoretical and practical significance. What we need to emphasize here is that the environmental vulnerability of Dongchuan has been formed over a long process， hence， the time needed for building the ecosystems resilience will take much longer than the time needed for ecological degradation. We need to enhance the capability for building disaster prevention and reduction by targeting the environmental crisis， disaster-making factors and the disaster status—this is the value of doing research on debris flow disasters in Dongchuan.

The causes of debris flow in Dongchuan are complicated， and they have a close relation with the degradation of the ecological system. This is a long process in history. The causes of debris flow in Dongchuan include two parts—natural causes and social causes. The natural causes include geological landforms， climate， etc. The social， or human causes mainly refer to the environmental vulnerability created from over-exploitation， such as mineral exploitation， deforestation， etc. The combination of these two aspects results debris flow disasters.

Dongchuan districts management of environmental vulnerability started a long time ago.However the management method was mainly to target the management of debris flow. The prevention and reduction of debris flow is a product of a combining science  and culture.  The work to prevent and reduce debris flow has been conducted under the guidance of the Debris Flow Observation Station of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. With the help of the scientists， a debris flow prevention and reduction model has been summarized—the Dongchuan model. However， in some areas， the problem of environmental vulnerability is still very serious， and the work to increase ecosystem resilience is still very difficult. Although there was a lot of investment input， the efficiency is not obvious. Therefore， this article states that there needs to be a total vision of the ecological system to guide the work of disaster prevention and reduction within the field of geological disasters. The environment upon which humans rely for existence is an ecological system within which everything is connected with each other， one that restricts each other and also relies  on each other. For instance， forests， rivers， slopes， geological structures， environmental situations， livelihoods， culture and disasters are all connected with each other. We need to analyze the problem of disaster prevention and reduction from a systematic perspective and approach. Thus， a comprehensive management approach which combines ecosystem resilience， environmental conservancy， social participation and technical management together is the main approach for reducing and preventing debris flow disasters.

Although the main approach and response to debris flow in Dongchuan is through new settlement， the use of land in the area where debris flows occurhas continued. People do their farming， planting rice and other crops in the places where debris flows frequently happen. Because there are debris flows every year， the farm land has become sandy.However， the local people continue to plant grains in the land after the debris flow disasters.This kind of response has never stopped. Even after the villagers have been resettled in a new place， they do not give up planting in the fields influenced by the debris flows. Only when the government rented these sand flats to businessman， partly used for the restoration of vegetation， and partly used for car driving competitions， did the farmers stop reclaiming wasteland. However， the impact of the debris flows on the local people has never stopped. On the contrary， it continues to influence the local people in other ways. Hence， the management of debris flow is a long-term work.

A more comprehensive suggestion here is that disaster prevention and reduction in Dongchuan should be put into the local national economic and social development planning. In the development process， land should be used scientifically， and the ecological environment should be explored and protected scientifically. The mountains are high and the slopes are steep in Dongchuan， and its geological landforms are very complex.As a result， geological disasters easily occur.In addition， because of over-exploitation and environmental degradation through time，  the areas there have become places where debris flows happen frequently. Seen from current status， what the modern people should note is to learn the lessons in history， and all the plans or projects concerning development in these areas must address disaster prevention and reduction. Moreover， preventing debris flow in Dongchuan should require a combination of long-term and short-term solutions. The short-term solution to debris flow prevention and reduction should mainly depend on preventing disasters through projects; the middle-term solution should consider an approach combining migration and projects; and the long-term should depend on a comprehensive development method—that is，to protect the ecological system and increase ecosystem resilience， so as to ensure that the ecological system is within safety limits. In other words， following a sustainable development path is the basic approach for preventing and reducing disasters.

Key Words： environmental vulnerability; ecosystem resilience; debris flow disasters; Dongchuan of Yunnan

References：

Ben Wisner， Piers Blaikie， Terry Cannon and Ian Davis.At Risk： Natural Hazards， Peoples Vulnerability， and Disasters. London： Routledge，2004.

Chen Dunqian.lun dongchuanshi shuitu liushi， nishiliu de weihai he zhili（On the Disaster of Soil Erosion， Debris Flow and the Management in Dongchuan）， In Journal of Soil and Water Conservation，1989（4）.

Dongchuan Peoples Government Compiled. Dongchuan nianjian （Dongchuan Yearbook 2014）， Dehong：dehong minzu chubanshe，2014.

Gunderson， L.H.Ecological Resilience in Theory and Practice.Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics， 2000， Vol.31， pp. 425～439.

Harrell，Stevan.Intensification，Resilience，and Disaster in Chinese History.A Paper Presented on the International Conference on Anthropology of Disaster and Hazards Mitigation and Prevention Studies，Kunming，China，2013，August 21～23.

He Maoli. shandi huanjing yu zhaihai chenshou de renleixue yanjiu— yi jinnian guizhou sheng ziran zhaihai weili （Anthropological Studies on Mountainous Environment and Carrying Capacity of Disaster— Taking Natural Disasters Happened in Recent Years in Guizhou）， In Journal of Central Minzu University， 2012（6）.

Tang Yandong. zhaihaijingjixue（ Economics of catesthrophe）， Beijing：qinghuadaxue chubanshe，2011.

Holling， C. S. Resilience and Stability of Ecological Systems.Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics， 1973，Vol. 4： 1～23.

Walker， Brian & David Salt.Resilience Thinking： Sustaining Ecosystems and People in a Changing World. Washington， Covelo & London： Island Press， P. xiii，2006.

Wang Zhihua. dongchuan nishiliu yu renlei huodong（Debris Flow and Human Activities in Dongchuan）， In Geology of China，1990（6）.

Yao Yijiang.huapo he nishiliu—renlei huodong youfa de shandi zhaihai（Landslide and Debris Flow—Disasters Resulted from the Human Activities）， In Newsletter of Soil and Water Conservation， 1985（1）.