近代东太湖的围垦与治理(1890—1937年)——以吴江地区为中心

Reclamation and Management of the East Taihu Lake in Modern Times Centering on Wujiang Region,1890-1937

东太湖是太湖主要出水区,生态环境敏感。光绪十六年河南客民迁入,吴江东太湖兴起围垦潮。此后到抗战前,对其治理政策经历了从光绪中后期招垦弛禁,到1914年禁垦、停补荡粮,再到1925年有限放垦的变化过程。这看似是从以财政考虑为主,到重视水利等问题,再到注重合理开发的变迁过程。然而,1914年后,由于财政需求以及治湖经费不得不依赖湖田放领的现实,官方不仅未能限制和引导围垦,设局放领和下调湖田领价,反而推动围垦无序发展,使水利状况日趋恶化。1935年大规模私围后,官方不得不拆围以避免极端后果,并制定善后方案。总之,近代转型过程中,技术和理念有所进步,却未必能真正推进环境治理,财政能力是影响治理落实的重要因素。

The East Taihu Lake is the main drainage region of the Taihu Lake and an environment sensitive region.After 1890 s,immigrants from Henan Province moved into Wujiang County,and they started reclamation in the East Taihu Lake area.From then to the breaking of the Anti-Japanese War,related management policy went through three stages,namely,immigrant recruitment and lift of the ban in the middle and late period of the Guangxu Reign,prohibition of new private ownership and reclamation in 1914,and limited reclamation in 1925.The core concerns of these changing policies seemed to be following a progressive process from focusing on financial needs to water conservancy,and then to a well-balanced development.However,after 1914,due to the financial needs and the fact that the lake conservancy fund had to rely on the sale of marsh land ownership,the authorities not only failed to restrict and guide reclamation activities,but also stimulated its disorderly development by setting up the bureau selling marsh lands ownership with a reduced price,which increasingly deteriorated the water conservancy situations.After the large-scale illegal reclamation in 1935,the authorities had to destroy the dikes of the marsh lands reclaimed privately in order to avoid the extreme consequences and make a rehabilitation plan.All in all,in the process of modern transformation,although technologies and concepts of governance were advanced,they failed to play an effective role in environment governance.The financial capacity was a critical factor affecting the implementation of such policies.