The Cultural Relics Distribution Characteristics Along the Canal Line and Appraisal of its Influence by the Middle Route Project for Water Transferring from South to North China

Assessments of the impacts of environmental hazards on ecological systems and human health have become a subject of ever-increasing importance. In this work, we extend current ecological hazard evaluation to the problem of protecting cultural relics from hazards attributable to the presence of a large-scale canal system being planned in China. The development and utilization of water resources must be closely combined with the preservation of cultural relics. The Middle Route Project for Water Transfer from South to North China (MRWT) is a current example. In this paper, the engineering background of this project is briefly introduced. The distribution of cultural relics related to it is also summarized in terms of different geographical divisions. An influence index E = f(L, δh, k, I, v, s) is introduced to measure the comprehensive effect of the canal on cultural relics. Because this function is really established at the preconstruction stage, it is treated by use of fuzzy mathematics. Each cultural relic has its own E value. Cultural relics with E values greater than 0.75 should be paid high attention, while those with E less than 0.5 may generally be ignored. What must be preserved through use of engineering measures are cultural relics with E values greater than 0.9. As to those cultural relics with E ranging between 0.5 and 0.75, whether they should be preserved with engineering controls depends upon practical circumstances specific to each relic.