Blog Numero Quartre

The Economist March 24 Edition "Shifting the Problem"

the Chinese government is trying to relocate people away from poor, disaster prone areas, particularly the mountainsides in Shaanxi which have become heavily deforested.  Technically, the people are supposed to be compensated, but more force has been used than economic incentives.  New, better quality housing is being offered further down the mountainside in Shaanxi, but the government is only footing the bill for part of construction costs. It's the only option though, the old homes are being knocked down as soon as the inhabitants move out.

There might not be as many people to move as the government anticipates: economic incentives un matchable by the government have already pulled out the young, working age population to the cities and away from the flooding and landslides, leaving the dangerous agricultural work to the elderly.

But people's safety isn't the only reason to relocate people. An "ecological water conservation system" seems to be in to works to redirect part of the Han river's wateres, which originiate in Southern Shaanxi, to the drier areas in the north.  But this water is susceptible to pollution, particularly from the farming the government is trying to move.Funding to enact environmental legislation is tiny, coming from Beijing, but Shaanxi has hit upon the solution of leaning on the state-owned companies to help out.