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1. Project Summary and Relationship to China's Agenda 21

According to the status of desertification and the control in China, this project is designed for the purpose if improving the capability of implementing the United Nations Convention on Combating Desertification, establishing a comprehensive ecosystem for combating desertification and initially forming a industrialised resource system. It focuses its attention on the objectives of laying equal stress on development and environment protection through integrating exploitation with conservation, and seeking an effective way for sustainable development in the desertified area of China, or rather, of the world.

This project is based on programme areas 16A, 16B, 16C and 16D of China's Agenda 21, and is related to programme areas 14B, 14C, 14D and 14E.

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2. Background

Desertification is a vital global environmental problem, affecting nearly 3.6 billion ha. of land in more than 110 countries. China is a developing country most of its population deficient in cultivated land--feeding 22% of the world's population with only 7% of the world's cultivated land, and is also one of the countries with vast areas affected by desertification, in which over 40% of the tillage is desertified and 56.6% of the pasture degraded, affecting 400 million people in 471 counties of 18 provinces and autonomous regions. As the main cause of the decrement of tillage and productivity in China, desertification has caused great destruction to natural resources, and has seriously influenced the life and production of those people living in desertified land and obstructed the sustainable development of social economy. It is estimated that the national annual economic loss caused by desertification is about US$ 2-3 billion, and the indirect loss is 1-2 times more.

The main objectives of the project are to strengthen the capability of combating desertification at various levels in China, to give impetus to the national desertification control drive, to prevent the occurrence of desertification in ecologically fragile areas, and to promote the sustainable development of social economy in desertified areas. Comprehensive demonstration plots of ecosystems will be established for combating desertification and of industrialised resource development systems in different types of areas, under strict implementation of the UN Convention for Combating Desertification.

The programme of desertification control and the demonstration which has been listed in the Forestry Action plan of China's Agenda 21, the National Scientific and Technological Key Tasks of the Ninth Five-Year Plan and the Ten-Year Plan of National Desertification Control and Prevention. The development of sandy and mountainous areas is regarded as the key issue of forestry development; therefore, this project will give guidance to facilitate and give an impetus to the propagation of desertification control measures.

The Chinese Government attaches great importance to combating desertification, and has set up the China National Co-ordinating Group and Steering Committee to Combat Desertification, consisting of 16 ministries and commissions, with its office housed in the Ministry of Forestry. Governments at all levels have also set up relevant organisations. Policies and laws were formulated successively by the central government, the Law on Combating Desertification has been drafted which will provide the guarantee for the accomplishment of the project. With initial achievements having been made in the key regions, and counties, and experimental demonstration plots and bases identified by the Ten-Year Plan of Combating Desertification, the project will strengthen the demonstration of the development of ecosystem for combating desertification in sub-regions and the development of industrialised resource development systems in 20 key counties with 22 experimental demonstration bases. With sufficient scientific and technological resources and relatively complete equipment for scientific research, a number of research institutions and universities, including Chinese Academy of Forestry, Academy of Forestry Inventory and Planning of the Ministry of Forestry, Beijing Forestry University, Institute of Desert of Chinese Academy of Science in Lanzhou and Institute of Biological, Earth and Desert of Chinese Academy of Science in Xinjiang, provide a solid foundation for the implementation of the project. A large volume of scientific research, achievements and practical experience have been accumulated.

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3. Objectives

3.1 Long-term Objective

Enhance the capability building for implementing the UN Convention on Combating Desertification, establish comprehensive demonstration plots of combating desertification in areas of different types, co-ordinate the wise use and development of natural resources with desertification prevention.

3.2 Immediate Objectives

* Establish and perfect the desertification monitoring system, and the research, development and training system on combating desertification; intensify public awareness education on combating desertification;

* Establish demonstration plots of comprehensive ecosystems for combating desertification in areas of different types to foster the development of the desertification combating drive in China;

* Establish demonstration plots for industrialised resource development systems in different types of areas to formulate models of sustainable development in desertified area.

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4. Outputs and Activities

4.1 Capacity building for implementing the UN convention of combating desertification in China.

* Strengthen the development of the Desertification Monitoring Centre of China. Establish a national data base of desertified land and a desertification monitoring network, using computers and satellite remote sensing technology; provide a monitoring index system to dynamically monitor the development of desertification in China and its effects;

* Enhance the development of the Research and Development Centre of Desertification Control of China. Conduct scientific research, experimental demonstrations, output extension and technology exchange and transfer in based upon the experience, technology and scientific capability of combating desertification;

* Enhance the development of the Chinese Training Centre on Combating Desertification. Actively conduct national and international training in scientific institutions and universities with better working condition, teaching and equipment.

Monitoring Indicators: annual reports on the implementation of establishing the said 3 Centres Implementing Agencies: relevant agencies organised by the Ministry of Forestry

Time Schedule: June 1997 - December 2000

4.2 Establishment of demonstration plots of comprehensive ecosystem development for combating desertification in different types of areas.

* Establish a 1,000 ha. demonstration plot of agroforestry, integrating sustainable development with desertification control, in old oasis of the arid areas in Hotan area, south fringe of Taklamakan Desert of Xinjiang, to tackle with the desertification in old oasis;

* Establish a 1,000 ha. demonstration plot of new oasis building and desertification control in arid, semi-arid area in Dengkou county, east fringe of Ula Buh Desert of Inner Mongolia, to deal with the problem of desertification while development new oasis;

* Establish a demonstration plot of 1,000 ha. of the restoration of eco-environment in mining areas of Mu Us Sandy land to solve the problem of desertification while constructing mining place;

* Establish demonstration plots of comprehensive control over desertified land along the upper reaches of rivers in Longhua, Weichang and Fengning of Hebei province which are located in sub-humid areas suffering from both wind erosion and water erosion, covering an area of 1,000 ha.

Monitoring Indicators: tackle with 800 ha. desertified land comprehensively each year

Implementing Agencies: relevant agencies co-organized by the Ministry of Forestry and the Chinese Academy of Science.

Time Schedule: June 1997 - December 2000

4.3 Demonstration on development of industrialised resource development system in desertified areas

* Demonstration of industrialised exploitation of soil resource in Horqin Sandy Land. Undertake industrialised development on the cropland reclaimed from sandy land and low land of Ongniud banner, and on the bio-economic sphere and paddies with plastic sheet in sandy land of Naiman banner of Inner Mongolia, covering an area of 2,000 ha.;

* Demonstration of industrialised development of medical and economic plants, with an area of 10,000 ha. in Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang and Heilongjiang, planting licorice (Glycyrrhiza), Chinese ephedra (Ephedra sinica, Nostoc entphytum), ladybell (Adenophora Fisch.), Giant Arum (Amorpho phallus Bl. ex Decne), almond (Amygdalus communis L.) and wolfberry (Lycium L.) etc.;

* Demonstration of industrialised development of grazing grass resource in Mu Us Sandy Land, covering an area of 1,000 ha. Identify the pasture capacity, select and introduce fine varieties of livestock, reclaim degraded pasture from sandy land, improve low yielding pasture and protect existing fine pasture.

Monitoring Indicators: to develop 3,400 ha. demonstration plot each year. Implementing Agencies: relevant agencies organised by the Office of Combating Desertification of the Ministry of Forestry will implement the activities.

Time Schedule: June 1997 - December 2000

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5. Inputs

5.1 Chinese Inputs The Chinese inputs will be approximately 20,000 person-year. Equipment inputs will be based on the existing equipment for research of the implementation agencies and will meet the needs of the project.

5.2 International Inputs International inputs are expected to focus on technology assistance, equipment assistance, personnel training and demonstration consultation.

5.3 Budget The total capital needed for this project is US$ 50.00 million. The Chinese side will raise US$ 35.00 million from domestic source, while foreign aid and investment will cover the other US$ 15.00 million.

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Table 1. Budget by Item (in million US dollars)

Table 2. Budget by Output (in million US dollars)

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6. Benefits

The implementation of the project will tremendously increase the capability of desertification control in China, improve the public awareness and initiative to combat desertification, with 1,300 specialised personnel trained and 5,600 farmers and women who can grasp professional techniques of combating desertification. In the demonstration plots of ecosystems to combat desertification and the industrialised resource development system, the vegetation cover will increase by nearly 35%, humidity will increase by 2-3%, flow of sandy soil will decrease by 90-95%, dust storm will decrease by 40%, air turgidity decrease by 30%. People living in the project areas will be benefited directly from the project while all those living in desertified areas and in areas affected by desertification will realise indirect benefits.

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7. Risks

It is foreseeable through the implementation of the project in key counties and experimental demonstration plots in the past few years that the main unfavourable factors of the project would be the lack of transferring the funding. In order to avoid this problem, the project should be managed strictly according to the relevant regulations to transfer funding directly to implementing agencies, therefore to ensure the successful implementation of the project.

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