China’s meteorological departments have discovered, using
remote-sensing satellite technologies, dozens of new oases in the
desert areas of the western region of the country in recent years.
On-the-spot investigations have discovered that the oases are
actually industrial bases built by Chinese enterprises, sources
said.
An
oasis named Engebei in the Hobq Desert in the Inner Mongolia
Autonomous Region, north China, is one of them.
Engebei was a piece of desert 10 years ago. The Erdos Group, a
cashmere sweater maker based in Inner Mongolia, bought this 20,000
hectares of sandy land in 1989 and planned to plant grass for
grazing goats.
Five years later, Wang Minghai, vice-president of the group,
contracted the project. He invested some 10 million yuan (US$1.2
million) to build lakes, plant trees and grass in the following
years.
As
a result, the forest coverage in Engebei has increased to the
current over 90 percent from the former 5 percent. Now, Wang can
earn nearly 1 million yuan annually by developing tourism, grazing
ostriches, peacocks, turkeys and goats and planting medicinal herbs
and fruits.
Well-known Chinese scientist Qian Xuesen first initiated the theory
of developing industries in the desert more than a decade ago.
According to Qian's theory, efforts are encouraged to develop the
desert and sandy areas by making full use of local natural
resources and modern science and technology, for the purposes of
making big profits and harvesting grain, cotton, oil, meat, eggs
and milk in the desert.
"Abundant sunshine and heat resources, a pollution-free environment
and cheap land are all favorable aspects of business in the
desert," said Wang Minghai, adding, "it's not easy to make money
here. But you don't need to worry about going bankrupt, because
turning the desert green will ensure success of growing plants and
raising animals."
China has eight deserts which are all located in the western
region. The desert area now totals 2.6 million square kilometers,
or more than 20 percent of the country's total land area. The
economic losses caused by sandstorm disasters exceed 8 billion yuan
each year.
To
curb and prevent the expansion of deserts, China has adopted a
series of laws and regulations such as a draft law on
desertification prevention and treatment, a program on the
construction of desertification prevention and treatment projects
in key areas, and a program on implementation of the UN Convention
on Desertification Prevention.
In
recent years, the Chinese government has also worked out policies
encouraging individuals and enterprises to participate in the
harnessing of barren hills and deserts. Under the new policies,
participants enjoy the preferential treatment of making their own
profits and enjoying supporting funds and low-interest loans
provided by the government.
Statistics released by the Chinese forestry administration show
that at present, hundreds of Chinese enterprises are engaged in
desert prevention and treatment and ecological improvement in the
western region. More than 30 enterprises are working in the Ulan
Buh Desert in Inner Mongolia.
The Pangu Group, the biggest private enterprise in Inner Mongolia,
started building an agriculture and forestry development zone in
the Ulan Buh Desert in 1997. To date, the group has tackled more
than 60,000 hectares of desert and is making a profit.
Vice-President Pan Zhaodong said, "Our target is to invest 1
billion yuan (US$120 million) in the desert and make a profit of 1
billion yuan." The group plans to plant fast-growing poplar trees
to serve the purpose of paper-making and plant medicinal herbs to
produce bio-medicines.
Opposite Pangu's agriculture and forestry development zone is a
piece of desert being developed by the Beijing Science Development
Co., Ltd. The company fenced off desert to plant trees and has
built up plastic shelters for growing organic vegetables. Its
products, such as small pumpkins, are selling well overseas.
The involvement of enterprises in desert prevention and treatment,
which has become popular in most parts of western China, is also
bringing profit to local farmers and herdsmen.
"I
wanted to move several times in the past because I was poor. Now, I
have a bank deposit of more than 50,000 yuan," said Batar, a
herdsman who works at the Pangu Group's production base in the Ulan
Buh Desert. "What makes me happier is that green has returned to my
hometown and we are no longer afraid of strong winds and
sandstorms," he added.
"Our purpose is to improve the ecology in desert areas," said Pan
Zhaodong of the Pangu Group.
China's efforts to prevent and control desertification has also won
support of foreign enterprises.
The Unilever Co. plans to invest 35 million yuan in five years to
help plant trees in areas where desertification is serious, such as
Inner Mongolia, Qinghai, Sichuan and other places in China. The Lee
Foundation of Singapore donated HK$1 million to China's
afforestation drive in desertification-ridden Huailai County, in
north China's Hebei Province.
Recently, a group of private entrepreneurs in Inner Mongolia put
forward a proposal calling on more people in non-governmental
sectors to actively join the efforts to develop industries in the
deserts, which, they say, is both beneficial to the country and the
investors.
(Xinhua 06/08/2001)