9-6 Prevention of Desertification:
A Demonstration Project in China
Project Scope and Relationship to China's Agenda 21
This project is based on programme areas 16A, 16B, 16C, 14B, 14C, 14D, and 14E of China's Agenda 21. The specific objectives addressed are to establish systems for desert control and prevention, information monitoring systems, and to reduce the expansion of desertification due to human destruction.
1. Background
Desertification is a serious problem in China. It is estimated that about 76.6 million hectares or 8% of the total area are currently affected by desertification. Desertification caused by water erosion accounts for 47.9%, wind erosion for 43.6% and saminization for 8.5%. Another 4.7 million hectares are potentially susceptible to desertification. The problems are concentrated in the agropastoral regions and loess plateau in the arid and semi-arid areas of Northern China, and in the hilly and mountainous regions of southern China, and in the Huanghuaihai Plain region.
The rate of desertification is increasing due to the impact of population growth and human activities, especially in recent decades. The rate of desertification is up to 210,000 hectares per year in Northern China, and 1.0%-1.5% per year in Southern China. Human activities are the dominant causes for desertification. In Northern China, 25.4% of desertification is caused by over-cultivation, 28.3% by over-grazing, 31.8% by denudation, 9.0% by industrial and transportation projects and 5.5% by sand dune encroachment.
In recent decades, research on desertification in China has helped to develop the technical know-how for prevention of desertification and provide information by remote sensing techniques. However, further work is necessary to apply these research findings in practical demonstration areas as well as disseminating the information to those directly affected and those able to implement the required actions. In other words, there is a need for information diffusion and capacity building in affected areas, particularly for applied research and extension activities.
2. Objectives
Long-term Objectives
- To develop and implement measures for control and prevention of desertification based research and to demonstrate through pilot projects techniques for environmentally sustainable development of the affected areas.
Immediate Objectives
- To establish a geographic information system for monitoring and assessment of desertification and develop a management model and forecast system for desertification;
- To strengthen capacity for prevention of desertification in affected areas by training for researchers and decision makers, and for training trainers for extension work;
- To organize and coordinate research on desertification with the aim of achieving environmentally sustainable development;
- To develop a model for prevention, control measures, and restoration through demonstration projects and to provide suggestions for national programmes for sustainable development of decertified areas;
- To establish an international cooperation network for desertification research and prevention.
3. Activities
The implementing agencies of this project will be the State Planning Commission, the State Sciences and Technology Commission, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and other related agencies.
3.1 Desertification study and capacity building for amelioration and prevention in China. Although China has a good research base on desertification, there is a need to strengthen practical management and technical capacity. Specific activities proposed include:
- Developing and introducing technology and measures for desertification prevention to the policy-making and management processes through the establishment of an information network. Desertification prevention models will be applied to policy-making and management to improve decision making.
- Developing facilities for domestic and international desertification study and trainging by 1996. The training contents will include the improvement of desertification research ability, monitoring techniques, ameliorating and preventing techniques. These will be used to help build capacity at the local and community levels through training of extension workers.
- Establishing a centre for desertification prevention, control and restoration. Research institutions with the necessary capability will be selected and a network of national and international experts will be established to help organize the centre.
The duration of this activity will be five years.
3.2 The implementing agencies of this project will be the State Planning Commission, the State Sciences and Technology Commission, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and other related agencies.
- Establishing and improving the ground dynamic simulation model for the typical decertified areas in China and an indicator system for evaluation of regional characteristics and classification of desertification in China;
- Improving the dynamic monitoring system by means of remote sensing in order to make the system as part of the international information system for desertification, and to develop micro-computer desertification monitoring and management system at a regional level which can be used for policy making for the desertification prevention purposes;
- Establishing monitoring, management and information system of the desertification in China by collecting and analysis of relevant information and completing the design of the management models and the connection between maps and data;
- Forecasting desertification formation, evolution and variation and assessment of the interrelation between human activity, social-economic development and climatic variation;
- Elaborating strategies for the prevention and amelioration of the desertification in China and the planning for the sustainable economic development and environmental amelioration in the major decertified areas.
The duration of this activity will be five years.
3.3 The demonstration areas for desertification prevention include:
- The Northwest Shandong will be a demonstration
area for the amelioration of sandy land and saltinized land. The main focus
will be on:
- - Demonstration of techniques;
- Introduction and development of economic crops (including processing);
- Establishment of 30 new villages under sandy land amelioration projects and 30 stations for the spreading of salinized land ameliorating techniques (15 each in Yucheng and Liaocheng respectively);
- Establishment of 0.12 million hectares of forest networks on the sandy farmlands in Northwest Shandong to build a sandy land control system by planting the fast growing arbors and economic trees.
- - Demonstration of techniques;
- The establishment of a demonstration area which
ameliorates sandy land by planting medicinal plants in the North China.Since
1980, the plant coverage in the desertified areas in the North China has
been reduced by 30 percent as a result of the gathering of medicinal herbs.
The available amount of these medicinal herbs has been decreased rapidly.
For example, the available amount of licorice root, the demand for which
doubles every 5-10 years, has been reduced by 40-70 percent. This plant
has many environmental benefits as it helps sand fixing. The main focus
of this demonstration include:
- - Establishing a medicinal herb planting demonstration
area for sand prevention purposes;
- Setting up of ten licorice root production bases with a total area of 1000 km2;
- Establishment of a reserved area for medicinal herbs (mainly licorice root) with a total area of 2000 km2;
- Planting medicinal sand preventing herbs in two grotto cultural remains areas: Dunhuang in Gansu Province and Yulin in Shaanxi Province. The total area will be 500 km2.
- - Establishing a medicinal herb planting demonstration
area for sand prevention purposes;
- Demonstration area in the dry valleys of the
Hengduan Mountains in Ningnan in Western Sichuan Province which have a
high proportion of degraded lands. The activities will focus on:
- - Rural energy development through promotion
of small-scale hydropower stations (about 87% of water resources are not
used in the area), solar energy utilization and methane-generating pits
in 104 villages;
- Sloping wasteland amelioration by constructing 30 wasteland improvement and agricultural production demonstration areas (total area 30,000ha);
- Construction of living-hedge terraces of 50,000 ha for economic trees planting;
- Improved equipment and processing technology in one silk factory and two sugar factories, and promote new processing technology in the cigarette factories in villages and towns;
- Improving production of off-season vegetables, set up technology promotion stations and conduct technology training courses.
- - Rural energy development through promotion
of small-scale hydropower stations (about 87% of water resources are not
used in the area), solar energy utilization and methane-generating pits
in 104 villages;
The duration of this activity will be six years.
4. Inputs
4.1 Chinese Inputs
The inputs of personnel for research is about 500 people per year and that for management and operation is over 6,000 people per year. The existing equipment in the implementation and executive organizations can meet the facility demand of the project to a large extend.
4.2 International Cooperation
The international contribution will be in the form of technical support, equipment and expertise for training and demonstration.
4.3 Budget
The total inputs for the project amounts to US $36.5 million, of which about 38.32% is from the central and local governments, 17.95% from the international grants and 43.84% from the international loan and investment.
Budget (in million US dollars)
 Activity |
Chinese Inputs |
International Input Grant Soft-loan |
Total |
| 3.1 | 1.00 | 0.50 |
1.50 |
| 3.2 | 1.50 | 1.00 |
2.50 |
| 3.3a | 2.65 | 0.65 5.50 |
8.80 |
| 3.4b | 4.00 | 1.80 2.80 |
8.60 |
| 3.5c | 2.30 | 1.80 4.00 |
8.10 |
| 3.6d | 2.50 | 0.80 3.70 |
7.00 |
| Total | 13.95 | 6.55 16.00 |
36.50 |
5. Benefits
The project will improve research, rehabilitation technologies and management agility of desertification amelioration in China. In a short term, the project will provide valuable information for the national and local economic planning, and demonstration for effective amelioration. In a long term, it will help the sustainable development of the country.
By the year of 2000, the economic benefits from the project includes a reduction of 20% in loss of production from desertification (current levels are about 50 million yuan), and an increase of some RMB 1 billion yuan in regional income.
The project will help develop and disseminate techniques for prevention, control and amelioration at the local and community levels thus helping to build local capacity. At the national level, the project will help decision-making and management departments in the central and local governments. The data bases and management model bases can be connected with those by the State Planning Commission and the State Science and Technology Commission, which provide consultation service for the Agriculture Department, Forestry Department, National Environmental Protection Agency and Land Management Agency, and technological service for regional desertification research.
The project will also yield international benefits
in sharing information about causes of and trends in desertification and
methods of prevention, control and restoration.
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