Jingzhou ushers in another major strategic opportunity at the national level. Recently, the State Council approved “Dongting Lake Ecological Economic Zone Planning”, and Jingzhou’s whole territory has been enrolled into Dongting Lake Ecological Economic Zone. According to the plan, Jingzhou will build a “more beautiful and fertile Great Lake Economic Zone.”
“Ecology “has become the most mentioned core keyword in the State Council’s approval. The approval requires that the implementation of "Dongting Lake Ecological Economic Zone Plan" should be themed by the construction of ecological civilization, driven by innovative institution and mechanism, and on the basis of the protection of ecological security, water security and national food security. Great efforts should be spared to build a new harmonious relationship between human being and water, and a new pattern of modern industry; we should organize a new urban and rural land of promise, and a new platform for cooperation and development. We should expedite the settlement of schistosomiasis, urban and rural drinking water safety problems and other prominent people's livelihood problems, and enhance the overall strength of the region and equalization of basic public services level. Also, we should promote human-centered urbanization, accelerate the transformation of economic development pattern, and strive to make Dongting Lake ecological Economic Zone a more beautiful and fertile Great Lake economic Zone.
The approval points that this plan places more emphasis in Hunan and Hubei provinces. Relative departments under State Council will give necessary support in terms of special planning formulation, project arrangements and institutional innovation, etc. This indicates that China will increase the input of infrastructure construction and ecological construction in Dongting Lake Ecological Economic Zone.
According to the plan, we will set high standard at the beginning to plan and build up Eco-system of urban and rural areas featuring in lake and village, and build a “five-kernel and five-axis " urban development pattern. “Five-kernel” means that we will foster 5 central cities of Jingzhou, Yueyang, Changde , Yiyang and Jin Li new city; " Five-axis " indicates that we will form development axis in eastern area, the longitudinal and horizontal development axis, the development axis in northwest – southeast area, and the Northern development axis, all of which will promote the development of small cities along the line, and nurture cities and towns with characteristics.
Promoting the construction of Dongting Lake Ecological Economic Zone is a major strategic initiative to promote the rise of the central region through in-depth implementation. It is of great significance to explore new path of economic and social development pattern led by ecological civilization construction in great lake basin, and push for the integration of city group along the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and explore and develop the whole river basin of the Yangtze River.
Dongting Lake Ecological Economic Zone covers Jingzhou in Hubei Province and Yueyang, Changde, Yiyang city in Hunan, plus Wangcheng District in Changsha City, totally 33 counties (cities and districts). The 60,500-square kilometer planning area has a permanent resident population of 22 million, and posts GDP of 596.49 billion Yuan in 2011. It has 22 counties with commodity grain base, 9 counties with commodity cotton base, 13 counties with aquatic base, and 5 national demonstration areas of basic farmland protection. The grain acreage and output of grain, cotton, oil, freshwater fish account for 1.5 %, 2.3 %, 6.4 %, 4.7 %, and 7.8% respectively at national level, and it is an important bulk farm-products production base.