Yulin is a unique presence in the urban development map of China. This city, located on the Loess Plateau in northern Shaanxi, faces multiple challenges such as water scarcity, fragile ecology, and a single industrial structure all year round. However, with its innovative "problem oriented" thinking, it has found a sustainable path in the midst of energy transformation and ecological governance. Its story is highly consistent with Singapore's resilient urban logic of "reconstructing resource boundaries with technology", showcasing a systematic breakthrough of a resource-based city in adversity. Yulin Photovoltaic Power Plant
Yulin's predicament is a typical example of the 'resource curse'. As an important energy and chemical industry in ChinaBase, itsRich in coal, oil, and natural gas reserves, it once relied on the "black gold economy" to achieve high-speed growth. However, this dependence has also brought serious ecological problems: erosion of the Mu Us sandy land, intensified soil erosion, and water scarcity have become the norm. What's even more tricky is that the volatility of traditional energy economy has led Yulin into a cycle of "high growth high pollution high risk". In the contradiction between resource enrichment and ecological fragility, YuLin explores aThe path of breaking through by requiring both energy and ecology.Energy transformation is the core proposition of Yulin's resilience construction. This city, which thrives on coal, has chosen a highly intelligent transformation path - not to cut ties with coal, but to revitalize traditional energy. The key to Yulin's energy transformation through action is not what energy to use, but how to use it. The high-end transformation of coal chemical industry is a key strategy. pass throughCoal to olefinsYulin has transformed low value-added raw coal into high value-added chemical products through new technologies such as coal to oil, greatly improving resource utilization efficiency.
The Maowusu Desert after Yulin's governance
At the same time, the layout of new energy is rapidly expanding. The abundant wind and solar resources in northern Shaanxi have been fully utilized. Photovoltaic power stations and wind farms have sprung up in the desert, and green electricity is transmitted to central and eastern provinces such as Hubei through ultra-high voltage power grids. The annual transmission capacity exceeds 40 billion kilowatt hours, reducing coal consumption in the central and eastern regions by 12 million tons annually. The most innovative model is also the "photovoltaic+sand control" model - laying photovoltaic panels in the Mu Us sandy land, which not only generates electricity but also reduces surface water evaporation, gradually restoring the ecology of the sandy land. This "dual-use" thinking reflects creative solutions under resource constraints.
The management of the Maowusu Desert is not a simple greening project, but a wise practice that dances with drought. Maowusu Sandy Land is one of the four major sandy areas in China, and Yulin City is located on the southern edge of this sandy land. The average annual precipitation in sandy areas is only 250-400 millimeters, but the evaporation rate is as high as over 2000 millimeters. This water heat imbalance has created a special ecosystem of "arid sandy areas". The drought resistant fruits cultivated here have developed higher sweetness and unique flavors under special climatic conditions. Products such as dryland apples and sandy watermelons have won market reputation for their outstanding quality, truly achieving a magnificent transformation from disadvantage to characteristic.Fengshan Mine Drainage and Storage Reservoir in Yuyang District, Yulin CityEven more creatively, Yulin will integrate coal minesDrain waterThis industrial byproduct is transformed into ecological resources, which are scientifically processed and reused for desert management, forming a closed-loop system of "industry feeding the ecology". This governance philosophy of "coexisting with drought" is not about fighting against natural defects, but about transforming them into development advantages through technological innovation, allowing the reality of water scarcity to give rise to more efficient water resource utilization models, and nurturing more valuable characteristic agricultural products from barren land. This approach of transforming environmental constraints into innovative driving forces demonstrates Yulin's deep thinking in ecological governance - not simply repairing shortcomings, but redefining the value of these shortcomings and creating new possibilities based on accepting natural conditions.The story of Yulin provides important inspiration for resource-based cities around the world. It proves that even under the most unfavorable conditions, cities can still find a development path through technological innovation, ecological synergy, and policy resilience. Compared to Singapore, Yulin may lack the support of international thinking and forward-looking technology, but its pragmatic and innovative spirit demonstrated in adversity is equally valuable. In the future, if Yulin can further strengthen its technological leadership, promote industrial diversification, and establish a more open talent introduction mechanism, it is expected to become a benchmark for the transformation of China's inland resource-based cities. And its experience will also tell the world that the essence of resilient cities lies not in the height of the starting point, but in whether they can reconstruct the logic of development through innovation when facing difficulties.
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