Demolishing dams will help build an ecological civilization

TO PROTECT THE HABITATS OF GIANT SALAMANDERS, a rare species in China, Zhangjiajie city, Hunan province, has closed down 34 hydropower stations located in a national natural reserve that was founded for the protection of giant salamanders, and 10 dams belonging to these hydropower stations have been demolished on the Lishui River, a major tributary of the Yangtze River in the province by December 2018. Beijing News comments:

The largest amphibian known today, the giant salamanders are called as "living fossils" as they date back to the era of the dinosaurs. Zhangjiajie is a major home to them.

The dams and power plants interrupted the flow of the river, and also blocked the breeding migration of aquatic creatures and the increase of human activities degraded the water quality. Despite the establishment of the natural reserve, the habitats of the giant salamander have shrunk to isolated spots on the map.