Chinese authorities are planting trees, repairing a reservoir and working on water diversion in an effort to conserve water for the oasis city of Dunhuang, home to UNESCO World Heritage Mogao Caves, a shrine of Buddhist art treasures.

Dunhuang in northwest China's Gansu province, once a crucial trade town along the ancient Silk Road that traversed the Gobi desert, is irrigated by streams coming from the snow-capped Qilian Mountains.

As tourism boomed and the population exploded, the melting ice could no longer accommodate the city's water usage. Three decades ago, locals began to extract underground water, an important supplement. But now, neither the streams nor underground water can stand further exploitation.

To tackle the water shortage, Dunhuang government decided to clear silt deposited in a reservoir that has been irrigating the city's farmlands for more than 30 years.

"Dunhuang is very arid. The ecosystem is fragile as well. The shrinking underground water aggravated the city's deforestation," said Zhang Keding, an official in charge of Dunhuang's reservoirs.

To prevent sands from flowing into the reservoir, local authorities have been planting trees in the reservoir's upstream. In addition, the local government is pushing forward a water diversion project designed to transfer water to Dunhuang from a nearby lake.

The project will not only increase the underground water, but also dredge silt in the reservoir, said Deng Wei, chief of the Dunhuang Water Supplies Bureau.

Deng said construction could start as early as next spring, adding the initial design of the project is under review. More than 150,000 residents could benefit from the water diversion project, according to the water supplies bureau.

Authorities in Dunhuang have also imposed strict water allocation. Drip irrigation and high water fares are among the measures rolled out to keep the underground water levels from falling.

Dunhuang is known for its Mogao Caves, a key stop-off point for faithful merchants along the ancient Silk Road. Nowadays, thousands of visitors swarm to Mogao every day as it is home to more than 2,000 colored sculptures and 45,000 square meters of frescoes in 735 caves carved along a cliff by ancient worshippers.

The booming tourism industry has boosted the local economy, but the surge of visitors has also strained the limited resources of the area including water.

Source from: Wantchinatimes