Desertification of China

Description

Desertification is the transformation of arable or habitable land to desert, as by a change in climate or destructive land use.[1]

More than 27% of China is already covered by desert, and the problems associated with desertification have been written about since the 4th century B.C. According to records, dust storms came to Beijing once every 7 or 8 years in the 1950s, then every 2 or 3 years in the 1970s, but have become an annual problem by the early 1990s.[4]

The amount of desert nationwide in China is increasing by upwards of 3,500 sq km every year! At the same time, the Gobi desert is advancing at 3.2 km per year on Beijing; at this rate, it is estimated to be on the outskirts of the city by 2070![3]

In the seven years ending the 20th century, the total area of land-turned desert exceeded 1.69 million sq km, or 17.6% of the country's territory. This is believed to cause economic losses exceeding US$6.5 billion each year.[2]

Enablers

• Deforestation
  • Brought on by desire for "chopsticks, toothpicks and Ping Pong paddles"
  • Firewood collection
• Droughts and increased water scarcity
• Wind storms
• Improper land use
  • Over-cultivation and overgrazing ("the tradegy of the common")
• Climate change
  • Increased temperatures, decreased rainfall
  • Fragmented government response

Inhibitors

• Improved agriculture
  • Problem fences to stop overgrazing
• Reforestation
  • The "Green Wall" of China
• Alternatives to wood as a source of fuel

Paradigms

• The world's largest economy will unlikely be able to feed itself as arable land is swallowed up by sand
• Increased sand disasters in Bejing
• Increased internal migration of rural Chinese
  • Increased number of migrant workers in eastern cities

Timing

4th century B.C.	first recorded mention of desertification in China
1950s	sandstorms in Beijing every 7 or 8 years
1970s	sandstorms in Beijing every 2 or 3 years
1990s	sandstorms in Beijing annually

Web Resources

1. Dictionary.com
2. "China Faces Challenge of Desertification", People's Daily
3. "Deforestation & Desertification - China"
4. "Beijing's Desert Storm", Ron Gluckman
5. "China's creeping sands" Slideshow, Sean Gallagher
6. "China News: Desertification", China Digital Times

Revision History

September

2009

Created by Gerrit Ledderhof