Nature, Technology, and the Remaking of the Hai River, 1928–1935
Open Access DepositedThis thesis is divided into three parts, each presenting a distinct perspective. These sections aim to illuminate how interactions between humans, nature, and technology have altered the original hydrology of the Hai River and its drainage system, and how these alterations ultimately contributed to the failure of water management in this intricate historical process. The first part mainly focuses on the formation of the Hai River drainage over time. By tracing the historical changes of the Hai River alongside other natural factors in the system as a whole, I intend to explain that frequent flooding was not a natural disaster for nature—instead, it was a natural outgrowth of the unique characteristics of the basin. The narrative then advances to the modern period, which examines the reasons for increasingly frequent flooding and increasingly severe damage caused by them, and how various Western and domestic governments began using advanced technologies to modify the river to suit their needs, leading to further ecosystem decline. The final part of the thesis revisits the hydraulic projects conducted by the Nationalist government. Here, I analyze how the state intended to use advanced technologies further to address the environmental deterioration of the aquatic system and hoped to improve the city’s prosperity. By studying the technologies and advanced scientific knowledge applied to hydraulic projects on the Hai River, I aim to show how the government used this advanced knowledge to manage its natural issues and how the fragile government eventually contributed to its failure. This study also illustrates that while the state and educated elites considered the local people’s methods of water management outdated, they still needed, to some extent, to consider the local people's voices instead of disregarding their suggestions for the projects. It was, to some extent, mitigate the tension between the state and local people, but it also redirected the goal of water management from flood prevention to creating more arable lands accidentally, further altering the original aquatic system, reducing its capacity to absorb floods, and increasing the risk of various natural issues.
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