China Launches Emergency Sand-Harnessing ProjectCompelled by the frequent sandstorms that have blown across north China, the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region initiated an emergency project to tackle the sandbank endangering the Chinese capital of Beijing.According to the project worked out by the central government, the autonomous region in north China will try to improve the environment in three key areas to reduce possibility of sandstorms. The first phase of the project is expected to harness 1.2 million hectares of sand in three years. The central government will pay 100 yuan (12 U.S. dollars) per mu (15 mu = one hectare) of land to be enclosed from grazing in order to protect grassland. The three projected areas, occupying 48.2 million hectares with some 10 million population, are close to Beijing and its neighboring municipality of Tianjin. A sandlot in the areas is moving towards Beijing at an annual pace of 1.8 kilometers. Meanwhile 10 seed bases will be established in the autonomous region. This spring, at least 11 sandstorms have swept through the autonomous region, which used to be prairie stretching across the horizon. Beijing alone has been hit by nine sandstorms during the season. It is estimated that China's sandstorm damage results in economic loss of 54 billion yuan (6.5 billion U.S. dollars) each year. |
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