Job Discussion Forums

[kukiv]

[oldboy]

It's scary to think, it's only a matter of time till every things gone.

More concrete jungles a'comin

[kukiv]

On the positive side the Chinese actually set up national parks and nature reserves to protect the best habitat - and even though the control in these areas is lax (we've witnessed hunting in reserve areas) - they mostly do their major job of protecting against logging and habitat destruction through farming.

This winter we had a job on the Yunnan/Burma border - and could see the situation over the other side of the border - certainly less concrete, but near complete absence of any major natural tree growth that could be classified as forest - it had degraded into secondary scrub, palms and other cultivated trees and farmland. On the Chinese side there's still areas around Nabang and Ruili that have small 'protected' pockets of magnificent forest - but even here we saw the work of illegal loggers as they cut down massive trees to make way for yet more coffee and fruit plantation.

Another magnificent area is the Gaoligong mountain range - which I'm sure still-no -sheep visited with his motorbike. I'm afraid that soon the motorbike riding won't be quite so peaceful in this area - there was major road construction taking place - yet another area where the authorities want to force mass tourism.

I first visited Yunnan in the late eighties - for those who want a combination of peace, tranquility and the sense of remote adventure its already too late in areas like Dali and Lijiang - be quick the rest of what's left is starting to go the same way!!!!!!!