The Progression and Countermeasures of Desertification in China - History from 2003 to the 2020s

The Progression and Countermeasures of Desertification in China - History from 2003 to the 2020s

Desertification in northern China accelerated in the late 1990s, with the expansion of the Gobi Desert emerging as a significant issue.
Between 1994 and 1999, the Gobi Desert expanded by approximately 52400 square kilometers, approaching a distance of 240 kilometers from Beijing.
In addition to the arid climate, overgrazing, deforestation, and excessive use of grasslands have led to widespread desertification, particularly in areas like Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Gansu Province, and Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, resulting in the degradation of farmland and grassland.
As of 2020, the desertified area reached about 2670000 square kilometers, covering approximately 27% of China's land.

One of the primary causes of desertification is the excessive grazing of livestock such as sheep and goats. Nationwide, China has around 260000000 head of livestock, far exceeding the roughly 80000000 head in the United States.
In Inner Mongolia, for instance, grasslands designated for 0.6 head per hectare now bear approximately 3 head of livestock, leading to plant roots being entirely consumed and soil exposed to wind erosion.
It is estimated that around 15000 square kilometers of grassland are desertified annually as a result.

To address this severe issue, the Chinese government initiated the "Three-North Shelterbelt Project" (also known as the Green Great Wall) in 1978, embarking on a large-scale afforestation plan to curb desertification.
The project aims to establish a windbreak forest belt of 4500 kilometers by 2050, with over 50 billion trees planted and more than 250000 square kilometers of desert region reforested by the 2020s.
This initiative has helped restore greenery and reduce sandstorms, especially in areas such as Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.

In the 2020s, international companies such as Siemens and Chinese energy giant China Power Investment Corporation (CPI) also joined in efforts to support vegetation restoration and energy supply in desert regions through the development of wind power infrastructure.
In areas around the Horqin Desert in Inner Mongolia, Siemens has supported the installation of large-scale wind power plants, which are expected to contribute to reducing CO₂ emissions by approximately 1000000 tons annually.

On the other hand, the sandstorms caused by desertification contain fine particles such as PM2.5 and PM10, worsening air pollution in major metropolitan areas such as Beijing, Tianjin, and Shanghai.
In Beijing, more than 50 days per year are designated as hazardous due to air pollution, and every spring, tens of thousands of tons of sand particles travel as far as Japan and South Korea, impacting health and crops.
Yellow sand not only affects human health and agriculture but also contributes to photochemical smog and acid rain, creating a serious environmental risk for neighboring countries.

In response, the Chinese government has enhanced carbon dioxide reduction measures and introduced soil conservation technologies in addition to afforestation activities.
For example, through the "Soil Improvement Project" in collaboration with the China Agricultural Development Corporation (CAG), water-retaining materials and special fertilizers are mixed into the soil in Inner Mongolia to promote vegetation recovery.
This project aims to reforest over 1000000 square kilometers by 2025, with expected effects as a countermeasure against desertification.

Although some improvement has been observed through national-scale projects and multinational cooperation, China's desertification issue remains challenging at its core.
With an increasing population, rising agricultural demands, and the accelerating effects of climate change, desertification control and sustainable environmental preservation continue to be essential challenges.