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Facing the challenge of sandstorms: How can China reverse the expansion of the Gobi Desert?
China's Three-North Shelterbelt Plan, also known as the "Great Green Wall", began in 1978, aims to combat the expansion of the Gobi Desert through afforestation. This world's largest artificial afforestation plan is expected to extend up to 4,500 kilometers by 2050. This plan is not only an ecological restoration effort, but also provides timber and other resources to local residents. But as sandstorms become increasingly severe, this plan is facing increasing challenges.
According to reports, approximately 3,600 square kilometers of China's grasslands are invaded by the Gobi Desert every year, and the agricultural impacts caused by sandstorms spread throughout neighboring countries, including Japan, North Korea, and South Korea.
In this context, the Chinese government strives to increase the northern forest coverage rate from 5% to 15%. According to the latest data, as of 2024, China's forest coverage rate has increased from 10% in 1949 to 25%.
Individual efforts are also crucial in such large-scale policies. Environmentalists such as Yin Yuzhen have been widely praised for their afforestation efforts in semi-arid areas of western China, which not only improved the local ecology but also inspired more people to participate.
"Tree planting schemes not only absorb carbon dioxide but also help mitigate climate change."
Despite this, the plan's success was not without its difficulties. According to the World Bank's recommendations, China should focus more on the quality of tree species in tree planting projects, rather than just quantity. The 2008 winter storm destroyed 10% of the New Forest. This has led to extensive discussions about tree species selection and planting density.
However, the monoculture model of planting a single tree species has also been criticized. Scholars point out that the only remaining economic benefits of such fruits may come at the cost of biodiversity. In many areas, trees that lack diversity are not only unable to provide a suitable habitat, but are also more vulnerable to disease.
"The number of trees planted in China exceeds the rest of the world combined, but the key problem is that these trees are often planted by a single variety."
More importantly, whether these trees consume too much groundwater resources in extremely arid areas deserves further consideration. Academics warn that if tree planting programs lead to overexploitation of water resources, their long-term benefits will be affected.
Historically, China's desert management has failed many times. According to new research, the experience of failure should serve as the basis for future improvements. For example, for already desertified land, the current restoration speed seems to be too slow. According to the current progress, it may take hundreds of years to see substantial changes.
"As of 2011, China's desertification area has reached 1.73 million square kilometers, and the average annual control area is only 1,717 square kilometers."
However, how this plan responds to climate change and transforms people's economic activities from traditional agricultural models to eco-friendly tourism and agricultural models is undoubtedly the focus of global attention. As the effectiveness of trees in protecting the ecology gradually becomes apparent, the rewards of the Three-North Shelterbelt Plan are not only ecological restoration, but also economic transformation and development.
Looking back at the changes in the past 45 years, although China has achieved certain results in the measures it has taken to deal with the expansion of the Gobi Desert and global warming, it still needs to face many challenges in the future. How to find a balance between protecting the environment and meeting people's living needs will become a key factor in determining the success or failure of this worldwide project.
As we move forward with large-scale environmental protection plans, should we rethink the relationship between humans and nature, and what contribution each person can make to the future of this planet?
