Ningxia Invests Heavily in Harnessing Soil Erosion along Yellow RiverNorth China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region has invested more than 10 million yuan (1.2 million US dollars) in checking soil erosion along the Yellow River so far this year.The projects to build new and reinforce existing dykes, and plant trees along the river is expected to be completed before the coming of the flood season in June, sources with local water conservancy bureau said. The areas along the middle and upper reaches of the Yellow River suffer the most serious soil erosion in China and even in the world. Greater efforts are still needed to plant trees and grass in areas along the river to reduce the amount of sand washed into the Yellow River and to protect the safety of farmland and local villages, sources said. Xinhua learned that Ningxia has poured a total of 228 million yuan (27.56 million US dollars) into tackling soil erosion along the Yellow River since 1998. Recently, the region has kicked off an afforestation project, aiming at building a 16,667-ha shelter forest along the Yellow River in three years. Statistics show that as of the end of last year, Ningxia has harnessed more than 10,000 square kilometers of soil eroded area, or 29 percent of the region's total. The region has also tackled over 200 local rivers, with the total amount of sand washed into the Yellow River reduced by more than 40 million tons on a yearly basis. |
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