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Inner Mongolia Tackles Desertification
Increased desertification in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region has brought direct economic losses of 18 billion yuan annually to the region in recent years.
Frequent sand storms in the Spring have worsened ecological and environmental conditions in north China, Beijing and the Yellow River areas, said a regional government official.
"We need to urgently address desertification in the region," emphasized the official. Statistics show that desertification in the region is the most serious among all provinces, municipalities and autonomous region, where sandy area now accounts for nearly one third of the country's total.
Over-cultivation and a surplus of stock in the region are the main causes for the rapid desert expansion. The quantity of livestock will not resolve problems between limited pastures and ever increasing herds of animals. Upgrading technology will be beneficial to the industry.
Serious measure are needed to tackle the problem if the region wants to achieve sustained economic development, said the official.
Returning low-yield farmland in sandy areas and slopes to pastures, and striving to increase the quality and yield of the farming areas will be crucial to the long-term interests of the region as well as the whole country.
Increasing the crops yield per hectare to the nation's average level while maintaining the annual yield at about 12.5 billion kg. will make it possible for the region to return 2.6 million hectares of farmland to either grassland or forests.
High-yield farmland makes up only 15.7 percent of the region's total, while land with sufficient irrigation is just some 24.6 percent, both lower than the nation's average levels.
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