Dust-Sand Storms in China: Disastrous Effects and Mitigation Strategies
China is one of the countries most severely jeopardized by dust-sand storms and desertification (DSSD). The total area of desertified land in China amounts to 2.67 million square kilometers, which is 27.9％ of the countrys landmass. Desertified land is mainly distributed in the Northwest, North and Northeast. Due to prolonged drought, growing population pressure and limited progress in re- vegetation, the process of desertification has accelerated, with an annual expansion rate of 1,560 square kilometers in the 1970s, 2,100 square kilometers in the 1980s, 2,460 square kilometers in the mid-1990s, and 3,436 square kilometers in the late 1990s. DSSD has resulted in the degradation of ecological environment and threatened the space for the existence of the Chinese people. It is estimated that some 400 million people are affected by DSSD, and the direct economic losses caused by desertification are estimated at 64.2 billion Yuan RMB or US$7.7 billion each year. Desertification is a major cause of poverty, as a significant number of economically underdeveloped counties are found in desertified regions. To mitigate DSSD-related disasters, useful experiences have been accumulated in China over the past five decades. Three major strategies have emerged, namely, the promotion of science and technology in combating desertification, the adoption of programmatic approaches, and policy and legislation support. While China has made fruitful efforts in controlling desertification, collaboration with neighboring countries in Northeastern and Central Asia is required in order to effectively halt the process of widespread desertification.
Desertification dust-sand storm land degradation China Northeast and Central Asia
LU Qi
National Research and Development Center for Combating Desertification Chinese Academy of Forestry, Wan Shou Shan, Beijing 100091, China
国际会议
中国-欧盟荒漠化综合治理研讨会(The China-EU Workshop on Integrated Approach to Combat Desertification)
北京
英文
229-235
2003-10-15（万方平台首次上网日期，不代表论文的发表时间）