Rural Water Pollution Research From The Perspective Of Ecological Ethnology

China has long valued the development and environmental protection in rural areas.The Communist Party of China proposed at the 18^th National Congress to vigorously promote the ecological civilization construction and the report at the 10^th National Congress raised the strategy of rural revitalization where the harmonious co-existence of human beings and nature is a key component.Along with the implementation of the policies,the living standards of villagers have gotten enhanced with the appearance of villages changes profoundly.Environmental pollution in rural areas are being addressed but water pollution remains,which can be reflected by phenomena such as black and smelly rivers and recklessly dumped wastes.Guided by ecological ethnology,the author takes Yangjiaxi Village of Yongding District in Zhangjiajie City,Hunan Province as the study object,learns about the water pollution of the village based on observations,interviews and literature review and analyzes the impact of the production and living activities of villagers on the water environment by taking local lifestyle and social culture into consideration.Countermeasures based on local knowledge are proposed to improve the water quality,with the practical application and value of the measures being explored.The findings would work as a valuable reference for local government to formulate measures to address water pollution and to follow the path of sustainable development,thus enhancing the living environment quality of local residents.This paper can also be referred to when addressing water pollution in minority areas.The paper is composed of five parts.Part I introduces the historical background of the research,the methods adopted,major challenges,domestic and foreign studies on ecological ethnology as well as the summary and analysis of the water pollution in rural areas.Part II presents the natural environment,ethnic culture and economy of Yangjiaxi Village.Part III summaries the water environment of the Village over the past three decades and introduces the fact that the water pollution of the village is grave with the villagers being indifferent to the protection of the water environment and the treatment and supervision of water pollution.But the village has taken measures to address water pollution with promising results.Part IV explores the causes,which includes the changes in local production and living styles and in the understanding about and use of water resources by villagers,to water pollution in the village from the perspective of ecological ethnology.Part V is the cultural reflection on the treatment of water pollution in the modernization process based on fieldwork and literature review.