A Study Of The Irrigation And Water Conservancy In Henan Province During 1927～1937

During the period of the Republic of China, continual wars and natural disaster brought serious damage to agricultural production in Henan Province. However, urgent efforts should be made to construct infrastructure of irrigation and water conservancy in order to develop social economy. After comparative analyzing the period during military government of Northern Ocean Fleet and the first ten years under the Nanking Kuomintang Goverment governance, the latter was found to be more favorable to construction and management of irrigation and water conservancy, because the social environment for developing irrigation works had been improved greatly from 1927 to 1937 and the achievement was eminent especially from 1933 to 1937, which was remembered as the Golden Age of the irrigation and water conservancy in henan province during the modern history.As for agricultural irrigation, all efforts worked along various lines and efficiently. The traditional artesian irrigation areas in Henan Province got enhanced to different levels, and its efficacy was resumed partially. The irrigation acreage was enlarged continually, because a lot of new artesian irrigation areas opened up in succession, and the water of Qin River flew into the cropland on a large scale. To tap more water resources for irrigation, most people mainly turned to chisel well and excavate spring. At the same time, the Yellow River water run through siphons towards fields and full play was given to modern water-lifting machine, which inaugurated a new era for agricultural irrigation.When project of draining waterlogged land and improving salinized land was mentioned, central government of Henan Province erected the River-Dredging up and Soil-Fertilizing Committee, which put their stress on alluvial plain generated by the Yellow River and Huai River. Under the guidance of committee, the project of dredging up was accomplished and became great benefit to villages nearby. Large-scale work of improving salinized land was on the way and adopted comprehensive measures of irrigation, plantation and making use for other purpose. As a result, the local conditions for agricultural production elementarily got improved. The cause of draining flooded land and fertilizing salinized land in 1930s made great strides, and contrasted finely with the development of agricultural irrigation, two of which together accelerated the Golden Age's arrival and promoted agricultural production in Henan.Besides the traditional institutions and organizations of administration, central government of Henan Province set up many new regulations and systems to perfect the management of the irrigation and water conservancy, and institutionalize its operation. Furthermore, local government at all levels had played a positive role in arbitrating disputes over irrigation, and thus advanced the project construction and daily management to a higher level, from which the agricultural development of Henan Province in 1930s received protection. However, the infrastructure of irrigation and water conservancy in Henan Province was feeble after all and has a limited capability to resist natural disasters. To compound the existing difficulties, the construction was interrupted violently by the invasion of Japanese army. Consequently, most projects were forced to pause and went from bad to worse under serious destruction. In the nest ten years, drought and flood attacked Henan Province frequently, which made local society and economy suffering unbearable damages.