长江中下游——河口河道采砂管理的进展、问题与对策

本文回顾了长江中下游河道采砂业的发展过程及其社会经济背景;综述了河道采砂对社会经济与河流生态环境的负面影响;论述和评价了长江中下游河道采砂管理的成绩与进展。在此基础上,本文重点探索了未来长江中下游河道采砂管理问题及其对策,指出由于三峡水库的蓄水运行,长江中下游河道泥沙收支状况产生了巨大的变化,从泥沙汇变成了泥沙源,从淤积向冲刷方向发展,长江中下游河道已无多余的河床沙可供开采。因此,长江中下游河道采砂管理的指导思想必须有根本性的转变,从"河道采砂管理规划"变为"河道砂资源保护规划"。未来有限的采砂也必须结合国家与地方的重大工程。同时,长江口的采砂管理亟待进一步加强,必须与长江口综合整治工程相结合。

A Study on Management of In-Channel Sand Extraction from the Mid-Lower Yangtze River: Recent Progress and Potential Problems

This paper briefly reviews the industrial development of in-channel sand-mining from the mid-lower Yangtze River and its socioeconomic background and summarizes negative impacts of excessive in-channel sand extraction on society, economy and fluvial ecosystem as well. Comments and evaluation have been made on the legislation process and management progress since the 1990s. On this basis, detailed discussions are made on potential problems in management of in-channel sand extraction and their counter-measures. It is proposed that, after the operation of the Three-Gorge Reservoir in 2003, the sediment input to and output from the mid-lower Yangtze River has experienced a great change, characterized by a dramatic turn from a sediment sink to a sediment source, while the riverbed from aggradation to scouring or erosion. Therefore, the guiding principle for future sand-extraction from the main Yangtze River channel should also drastically shift from "in-channel sand-extraction planning" to "in-channel sand resource protection". Legal in-channel sand-extraction, although limited in amount, must be integrated with major national or provincial engineering projects. Moreover, the management on sand-extraction from the Yangtze Estuary should be further strengthened and become an important part of integrated regulation of the Yangtze Estuary.