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Chapter 16 - Combating DesertificationINTRODUCTION16.1 Desertification is land degradation in arid, semi-arid, dry sub-humid and partly in seasonal dry humid areas resulting from factors, including climatic variations and human activities. Desertification implies reduction of biological productive potential of land, so far as to lose completely land productivity. Desertification which is a serious problem in China affects 8 per cent of total China's territory. Of which desertification caused by water erosion and by wind erosion is nearly half of the total desertified land area, respectively. Otherwise, salinized and desertified land caused by other factors are observed in China. About 0.17 billion population and 2100 hectares farming land is affected by desertification processes. Moreover, grain yield is low and unstable in these areas. A large area of grassland has been desertified, where the herbage is seriously degenerated and the animal carrying capacity is decreasing. 800 kilometres of railway and thousands of kilometres of highways are blocked by sedimentation. It is estimated that the direct economic loss from hazards of desertification all over China reaches 2-3 billions US dollars, while the indirect economic loss is two or three times that amount. 16.2 Soil erosion known as a major process of desertification has drawn worldwide attention. China is one of several countries in the world which suffers from severe soil erosion. Nowadays the total area of water erosion is 1.79 million square kilometres and the total amount of annual soil erosion has reached 5 billion tonnes. Soil erosion results in serious land degradation in many areas and the complete loss of organic material in the soil and finally exposure of the bedrock in some mountainous areas. Where rocky desertification landscape appears soil erosion also leads to the silt-up of reservoirs, lakes and rivers and an annual 10 centimetres rise in the bed level in the lower reaches of the Yellow River. Desertification caused by soil erosion seriously affects the development of the agricultural economy. Poverty-stricken counties located in the severe soil erosion areas account for 78 percent of the more than 200 poverty counties in China. 16.3 The objective of this chapter is to put forward strategies and measures to combat desertification in order to reverse the trend of ecological deterioration, maintain the sustainable land utilization and raise China's capacity for sustainable development, and make a greater contribution to the global fight against desertification. 16.4 Combatting desertification is a long-term task for China. The Chinese Government promulgated "The law on forest in the People's Republic of China", and "The law on water and soil conservation in the People's Republic of China" in January 1985 and January 1991 respectively. In August of 1993, "The regulations regarding law on water and soil conservation in the People's Republic of China" was put into effect. A comprehensive system of administrative agencies for water and soil conservation ranging from the central government to the local authorities was set up. Preventing and controlling desertification is a long term task for China. The content of this chapter is closely related to many other Chapters: 7, 8, 11, 12, 14 and 17. 16.5 The following programme areas are included in this chapter:
PROGRAMME AREASA. Comprehensive Rehabilitation of Desertification and Its ManagementBasis of action 16.6 China has great success in controlling desertification. In the past four decades, 100,000 square kilometres of shelter-forests have been established in desert areas, and 10% of the desertified land has been brought under control. In addition, 1,300,000 square kilometres of agricultural fields have been newly reclaimed from deserts. Meanwhile 900,000 square kilometres of grassland which suffered from severe degradation has been restored and protected, resulting in a 20% increase in grass output. 8,300 square kilometres of fuel wood forest has been established to meet the need for fuel supply to 5,000,000 households. 16.7 However, desertification in China has been expanding in the past decades. The sandy desertified area generally increased by a rate of 2,100 square kilometres per year in the 1980s compared with the annual expansion rate of 1,560 square kilometres of late the 1960s to the 1970s. At present, not only the arid and semi-arid areas in Northern China are covered by a vast expanse of desertified land, but also some humid and semi-humid areas such as the plains in the north and east part of Henan province, the suburb of Tangshan city, and the surrounding areas of Poyang Lake and of Beijing find desertified land therein. The number of rocky slope fields caused by water erosion is expanding in Southern China. The desertification of the red soil and granite regions of Jiangxi Province increased by 12.9% in the 1970s to 26.7% in the 1980s. The area of desertified land in the middle part of Zhejiang Province also increased by 9.4% in the 1970s to 10.5% in the 1980s. The area of rocky desertified land makes up to 8.6% in Wujiang Basin of Guizhou Province. The formation of desertification in China is the results of over-cultivation, over-grazing and destruction of vegetation. Objectives16.8 To establish a system for combatting desertification with the integrated goals of prevention, control and utilization. To plant about 60,000 square kilometres of trees and grass before the year 2000. To increase the controlled area of desertification from 10% to 30%, to reduce the speed of desertification to 1,000 square kilometres per year and to control desertification in the semi-humid, humid areas and the agriculture and husbandry mixed areas. 16.9 To establish desertification information monitoring systems and reduce the expansion of desertification resulting from adverse human activities. Activities16.10 The comprehensive fight against desertification and its management:
16.11 To establish The National Monitoring Centre for desertification which will draw up scientific research plans and offer consulting services and make predictions and forecasts:
16.12 To actively develop international and national cooperation on comprehensive control for desertification and its management:
16.13 To strengthen scientific and technological means:
16.14 To carry out major projects for combatting desertification in Southern and Northern China and to strengthen demonstration and experimental projects in various types of desertification. 16.15 To strengthen human resource development and capacity-building:
B. Economic Development in Areas Prone to Desertification in Northern ChinaBasis for action 16.16 The desertified areas in China are richer in sun-light and heat resources and there are some water resources, vegetation and plenty of minerals which could be exploited. To exploit these resources in the desertified areas in an appropriate way is not only a way of eradicating poverty, but also one major means to combat desertification. Objectives16.17 To develop desertification area-specific industries. Before the year 2000, improve the existing 13,000 square kilometres. Develop greenhouse agriculture in an area of 4,000 square kilometres. Develop dozens of mines and enterprises which, in turn, will create new chances of employment for the people in desertified areas. 16.18 The long-term objectives: to formulate laws concerning land management in desertified areas. To establish high-efficiency agricultural production systems and desertification area-specific industry systems in accordance with the Chinese situation in order to realize a benign circle of environmental and economic growth in desertified areas. Activities16.19 To establish the management mechanism and policies which are suitable for economic development in desertified areas:
16.20 To strengthen collection of data and information concerning the economic development in desertified areas:
16.21 To actively carry out international and regional cooperation for economic development in desertified areas:
16.22 To develop appropriate new agricultural technology in desertified areas and enhance scientific and technical means for economic development in desertified areas:
16.23 Demonstration projects: The demonstrative projects on advanced agriculture techniques, demonstrative projects on ecological agriculture in desertified areas. 16.24 Human resource development and capacity-building:
C. Comprehensive Prevention and Control of Soil ErosionBasis for action 16.25 China has a long history of preventing and controlling of soil erosion. Since 1949, there have been 527,000 square kilometres of land under comprehensive reclamation.The water and soil conservation capacity has been enhanced with an annual increase of 18 billion cubic metres of protected soil and a decrease of 1.1 billion tonnes of eroded soil. Since the 1980s, the state has appropriated special funds to conduct planned, selective and large-area control efforts which have helped to promote the development of small watershed reclamation and to speed up the programme. 16.26 However the principles of "prevention being the main task and control being equally important" have not received consistent attention in theory, policy-making and planning for a long time. Prevention has not been put first. Man-induced water erosion has not been controlled effectively and resolutely. Therefore control in a specific place was often resulted in the overall destruction of a larger area: control accompanied destruction. Control only followed destruction. From the 1950s up to present, the area of water erosion in the Yangtze River Valley has increased by 40%, the newly-increased area of eroded land being three times that of land under control. According to the statistics from 14 provinces and cities, including Guangdong, Fujian, Shandong, Sichuan and Henan, the new increased estimates of soil erosion are 28,000 square kilometres, and new estimates of the quantity of soil erosion is 554 million tons as a result of mining, stone pitting, capital construction, road-building and destruction of forests and grassland. Facts show that intensified economic activities are the main cause of water erosion. Therefore a comprehensive prevention and control policy has to be adopted in combatting erosion, inter alia, and newly-occurring water erosion has to be controlled. Objectives16.27 To implement comprehensively the law on water and soil conservation and conduct control in whole areas and in priority areas simultaneously. To strengthen prevention, supervision and management of water erosion, which is now top priority. To deter further deterioration by water erosion in order to return ecosystem to their natural cycles and to move to sound sustainable development in controlling soil erosion. These are:
Activities16.28 To strengthen management of water and soil conservation:
16.29 Preferential investment policies should be formulated in accordance with actual conditions in China in order to attract domestic and foreign scientists, enterprises and businessmen to conduct research on water and soil conservation and to exploit the resources in key areas for different types of soil erosion in China. Study groups will be organized to conduct on-the-spot investigations and specialists will be sent abroad, foreign advanced technologies should be experienced, demonstrated and popularized with certain aims in China. 16.30 To develop scientific researches and build an information network for soil erosion:
16.31 To strengthen scientific and technological means of water and soil conservation:
16.32 To publicize the experiences of the 10,000 existing comprehensive control demonstrative programs in small watersheds. To set up demonstration programs for water and soil conservation related to industry, mines and communications. 16.33 The existing scientific and technical water and soil conservation teams built up over more than four decades should play a full role. Officers, staff, technicians, supervisors and managers presently engaged in water and soil conservation should be trained in order to enhance their capacity for work and the ability to implement policies. 16.34 To carefully summarize Chinese practical experience on water and soil conservation and absorb foreign advanced thoughts and technology. To actively popularize science and use education to bring about mass awareness of policies and their scientific and cultural attributes. D. Construction and Management of Ecological Engineering for Soil ConservationBasis for action 16.35 Rebuilding ecosystems by mainly using biological measures. In areas suffering from severe soil erosion and ecological deterioration biological measures will be combined with engineering measures. Reclamation refers to large-scale restoration of vegetation and the rebuilding of degraded ecosystems by using ecological principles and engineering techniques. 16.36 There are several large zones of soil erosion such as Yellow River Basin, Songliao River Basin, Haihe River Basin, Yangtze River Basin; Pearl River Basin, Huaihe River Basin and the coastal areas which have become serious obstacles to the sustainable development of China. It is imperative to undertake large-scale reclamation of degraded ecosystems in order to control soil erosion in these area. The area of water erosion in the middle reaches of Yellow River accounts for 79% of total basin's area, in which erosive modules is 3000 t/km2.yr, the gully density is 1.3-8.1km/km2. The area of water erosion in Haihe River Basin is 50% of total basin's area, in which erosive modules is 1000-10000 km/km2.yr. Because of impact of soil erosion, there are several problems such as poverty, silted up reservoir and waterways, and poor soil, etc.. 16.37 The large shelter-belt forest systems in "Triple North Regions"(Northeast, North and Northwest of China), the middle and upper reaches of Yangtze River, coastal areas, and farming areas in plains, and Taihangshang Mountain, etc. have been established since 1978. The purpose of establishing shelter-belt forests is to increase vegetation coverage and improve ecological conditions. Now remarkable ecological, social and economic benefits have been observed in these areas. Objectives16.38 To continue building the large shelter-belt forest systems in "Triple North Regions" and controlling the soil erosion in Yellow River Basin. Before the year 2000, the area of shelter-belts forest will be 21.77 million hectares, the 4.5 million hectares of soil erosion will be under control in Yellow River Basin. By the year 2001-2050, the area of shelter-belts forest will be up to 13.3 million hectares, and by the year 2001-2010, the controlled area in Yellow River Basin will be up to 7.50 million hectares. 16.39 To build shelter-belt forest systems in the middle and upper reaches of Yangtze River Basin. Before the year 2000, the area of shelter-belt forest will be 6.66 million hectares, and in the same time, 5.60 million hectares of soil erosion will be under control. By the year 2001-2010, the shelter-belt forest area of 13.33 million hectares will be further completed, moreover, 9.0 million hectares of soil erosion will be under control. 16.40 To control soil erosion in the Songliao River Basin. Before the year 2000, the controlled area of soil erosion will be 3.00 million hectares. By the year 2001-2010, the controlled area will be 5.00 million hectares. 16.41 To control soil erosion in Taihangshang Mountain and Haihe River Basin. Before the year 2000, the area of afforestation will be 2.71 million hectares, and the areas with controlled soil erosion will be 2 million hectares. By the year 2001-2010,the controlled area of soil erosion will be 2.20 million hectares. 16.42 To control soil erosion in Huaihe River Basin. Before the year 2000, the controlled area of soil erosion will be 1.40 million hectares. The area of afforestation in Taihu Lake Basin and Huaihe River Basin will be 1.05 million hectares. By the year 2001-2010, the controlled area will be 2.20 million hectares. 16.43 To afforest the Pearl River Basin. Before the year 2000, the area of shelter-belt forest will be 1.20 million hectares, the controlled area of soil erosion will be 1.10 million hectares. By the year 2001- 2010, the controlled area will be 1.90 million hectares. 16.44 To build shelter-belt forests in coastal areas. Before the year 2000, the area of afforestation will be 2.46 million hectares. By the year 2001-2010, the area of afforestation will be 1.08 million hectares. Activities16.45 To strengthen integrated management of ecological engineering:
16.46 Data and information:
16.47 To actively develop international exchanges and cooperation. To seek financial assistance from the international community in establishing a management centre for the protection of water and soil and the prevention and treatment of crop diseases. This center will also be responsible for setting up an ecological demonstration project for water and soil conservation, for the development of high quality seed varieties to be used for forest cultivation and personnel training. 16.48 To strengthen scientific research, to publish scientific and technical findings and to provide technical services:
16.49 Strengthening development of human resources. Having been supported by forestry universities and research institutes, technical cadres and managers should be trained on a large-scale and peasant technicians should be trained repeatedly. Strengthen fostering of specialists in water and soil conservation in universities and colleges and select outstanding technical staff members to go abroad for study and survey. Organize the rural surplus labour force by setting up afforestation teams on a contract basis. 16.50 To strengthen capacity building, including the constructions of forest projects, it should be recognized that a main part is labour input by the people and a complementary part is from the state financial support and funds would be raised by several channels and levels. Improve policies and management and attract masses to take part in developing forestry. Spread propaganda and education among masses in order to raise the environmental consciousness of the public for taking part in developing forestry. Text Browser Utilities: [ACCA21 Home Page, White Paper Home Page, Back, Next]
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