Reclaiming Barren Land: Combating Desertification in China

With a land mass similar in area to that of the United States, China’s varying geography enables the country to build a diverse economy. However, increasing environmental changes and the large proportion of non-arable land in China pose many ecological challenges to the country. In recent years, the struggle to combat climate change and reckless pollution has fostered direct support from top government officials, emphasizing President Xi Jinping’s call for “blue water and green mountains”. While deteriorating air quality is the most current symptom of pollution in industrialized cities, other remote regions of China have long histories of confronting the gradual threats of desertification. 

China’s western and northern territories have expansive desserts such as the Gobi and Taklamakan. According to the World Bank, these landscapes exceed a quarter of the region’s total land area. Due to the arid climate and high altitude, only sparsely populated pastoral communities inhabit these areas around the deserts. However, unsustainable practices are threatening the livelihoods of these pastoralists. A combination of causes, including overgrazing by cattle and clearing of vegetation, has resulted in significant losses of arable land. Furthermore, the scarcity of plant roots to secure the loose sand and soil has increased sand storms that impact distant parts of the country. 

Desertification has long remained a pressing issue for the Chinese government. Over forty years ago, the Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program sought to curb the continued erosion of soil through planting barriers of trees around deserts in northern China. Before planting trees, the workers would construct a system of straw grids that were one by one meter in dimension and secured to the topsoil. The most crucial component of this program was to carefully select species of plants that could survive the harsh and dry climate, such as the willow.

Since its initiation many decades ago, Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program has garnered vast implementation throughout the country, extending to over 13 provinces by its final stage in 2050. A combination of different factors could explain its popularity. This project mainly employs village laborers in the process of weaving the straw grids and planting the saplings which generate job opportunities. As for the local authorities, it is a chance for them to secure a boost for the local economy and embark on an ongoing nationwide effort. This enthusiasm might be paying off: official statistics cited a 59% increase in vegetation in the dusty and windswept region of the Loess Plateau in northern and northwestern China.

Coupled with ever-developing technologies,  the afforestation campaign in China is becoming more economically viable. Researchers at Chongqing University are experimenting with a gel-like mixture that may transform sandy areas into farmable land at a lower cost than traditional remediation procedures. As for remote farmers, they can now utilize the reclaimed farmland to plant crops and export them to customers through online shopping platforms. Nevertheless, it is important to acknowledge desertification as a continual hazard to environmental stability and the world economy. With this in mind, the ongoing afforestation efforts in China should hope to further encourage cooperation between various nations.