June 17th, 2008 |
The north part of China covers a large area of sandified lands. Land desertification is the most severe ecological problem in this region, and threatens the sustainable economic and social development. It also restricts the fulfillment of Green Olympic commitments. To realize the objectives of Green Olympics, we have adopted a series of following key measures. Firstly, the NPC Standing Committee stipulated the Law of Desertification Combating, which, together with other related laws and regulation, shapes a complete set of the legal system on desertification combating, and accelerates the sandified land control and the ecological conservation in the sandified area. Secondly, the State Council approved the implementation of National Desertification Combating Plan, which scientifically and rationally lays out the overall arrangement, main orientation, and key projects of desertification combating in the whole country, and promotes the national desertification combating work. Thirdly, the State Council issued the Decision to Further Strengthen Desertification Combating, which effectively activates the operating mechanism of desertification combating, accelerates the development of related preferential policies, and effectively motivates the enthusiasm of the whole society for desertification combating. Fourthly, the State Council convened the National Desertification Combating Conference, which established the general guideline for desertification combating, i.e. to combat desertification by law, in scientific ways, and comprehensively, and initiated large-scale mobilization and reallocation for desertification combating. Fifthly, a number of key projects for desertification combating were initiated and implemented. In recent years, the central government invested RMB 14 billion yuan annually, to implement sanctified land control in key areas. The average area with efficient control was 1 million ha every year. After years' efforts, the desertification combating in China has achieved great progress. Firstly, the ecological environment has been improved, and the impact of sandy wind released. About 20% of sandified land in the country was transformed to different degrees. The area of sandified land is decreased by 1,283 km2 annually, whereas, it was increased by 3,436 km2 every year at the end of the 20th century. In particular, in the vicinity of Beijing and Tianjin , the average vegetation coverage was increased by 20% compared to that eight years ago. Moreover, three ecological barriers came into being to prevent the damage of sandy wind. The three barriers are to fix shifting sand by sand barriers, shrubs and grasses in sandified pasture area, to prevent the invasion of sandy wind by establishing shelterbelts and networks in Bashang and Yanbei area, and to form the air clarifier by developing cross greening network in Beijing and its vicinity. Secondly, green industries have been developed, and income-generation for farmers has been promoted. A group of major burgeoning industries, such as characteristic planting, breeding, processing and eco-tourism, were promoted in sandified area. The implementation of Wind and Sand Control Program in Beijing and Tianjin brings practical benefits to 16.22 million farmers and herdsmen. Compared to the numbers in 2000, the average per capita income of farmer in the program area was increased by nearly 60%, and 1.5 million persons alleviated poverty. According to the monitoring data on the social and economic benefits in the 21 program counties (or banners) in 2006, GDP in 2005 was 1.9 times of that in 2000, i.e. annual average increase of 13.65%, before the program initiation, and was higher than the growth rate of GDP of the whole country at the same period. The capacity for sustainable economic and social development in the program area improved by 22%, among which four tenths was from program implementation. Thirdly, green concepts have been initially built up, and ecological awareness has been enhanced. Desertification combating is the grand undertaking with efforts for the moment, but gains for the millennia. The practice of combating and control not only has improved the ecosystem, but more importantly has changed the development ideologies and patterns, and deeply set up the green concepts. The ecological civilization awareness of the public to increase, love and protect the green was significantly increased. The production methods and life style of farmers and graziers were significantly changed as well. Three key changes were realized, i.e. the changes from nomadic grazing to captive breeding, from exploit wasteland by deforestation to afforestation and grass planting, from extensive cultivation to intensive cultivation. Though the desertification combating in China has achieved certain progress, and provided strong guarantee for the holding of Green Olympics, we clearly understand that the task of desertification combating is still hard, and it still can not meet the requirements to build up a society with ecologic civilization. At the new development stage, in order to do this work well, we have to carry out the scientific development concepts in depth, determine new ideologies, adopt new methods, and do our best to develop the new phase of desertification combating. In details, we should promote five changes, and adopt six methods. The five transformations are as the following: (1) Transformation from the previous focus on control to stressing equally on sand management and protection. While sand management will still be strengthened, forest and grass vegetation in sand areas shall be strictly protected on the basis of effectively managing those issues such as population, livestock and stoves. (2) Transformation from artificial measures to integration of artificial measures and natural restoration. The self-restoration of eco-systems shall be brought into full play along with sand management through artificial measures, in order to promote natural restoration through enhanced sand closure, grazing ban and sand conservation. (3) Transformation from focus on ecological benefits to integration of ecological and economic benefits. Industries featured in sand areas shall be actively facilitated to achieve a good balance of ecology and economy in sand areas. (4) Transformation from quantity to equal focus on quantity and quality. Ensure that both quality and quantity are guaranteed at the same time to consolidate the achievements. (5) Transformation from investment-driven actions to integration of investment-driven actions, policy stimulation and dissemination. Government investment should be increased, and meanwhile policies will be refined and various mechanisms activated to engage all nationalities and the whole society in sand management. The following six measures will be intensified in the course of our work: 1. Implementation of responsible system to commission responsibilities to those managing the sand and punish those who fail Authorized by the State Council, the State Forestry Administration has concluded contracts on responsibilities, objectives and examination with provinces and autonomous regions bearing major tasks on sand prevention and control, which clearly defined the system that local governments bear the overall responsibility of sand prevention and control, and their objectives and tasks. We will release the examination measures of the responsibility system jointly with other concerned departments of the State Council, set up certain incentive and disciplinary instruments, and bring the results of sand prevention and control into the evaluation indicators of local government at various levels. 2. Establishment of pilot areas to promote sand prevention and control through demonstration In total 39 integrated pilot areas of various types were selected to conduct research and trials on sand prevention technology, management mode, industrial development, policy and measures, financing mechanism, etc. They serve as demonstration and dissemination of sand prevention and control nationwide. 3. Enhancement of law enforcement and monitoring to protect and improve the desert and Gobi eco-system The ban on farming, grazing and firewood collecting shall be continued and the strike on illegal activities such as destruction of vegetation and wild fauna and flora resources in sand areas, and occupation of sandy land will be strengthened. Forests and grass vegetation in sand areas shall be effectively protected and sand encroachment shall be prevented. 4. Institutional innovation to mobilize the initiatives of various groups The policy of ?one who manages and who protects benefits' shall be continued. At present land tenure reform of collectively owned forests shall be actively promoted to ensure the ecosystems are preserved and farmers get benefits. Those who manages shall benefit and invests shall make profits so as to mobilize the initiatives of all walks of life in sand prevention and control. 5. Promotion of monitoring and early warning and the enhancement of sand prevention and control through scientific measures Comprehensive and correct understanding of the dynamics and causes of land desertification in a timely manner is the basis for scientific decision-making. Amplified land desertification monitoring system, enhanced monitoring capabilities and strengthened analysis and research on monitoring results will provide scientific basis for decision making in sand prevention and control. Disasters will be prevented and alleviated to the maximum possible extent with major sand storm disaster response system in place. National land desertification monitoring will be organized and conducted periodically to understand land dynamics. Governments at various levels in desertification regions shall readjust prevention and control measures timely according to the monitoring results. 6. Implementation of convention and enhancement of international exchange We commit ourselves to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. Meanwhile we will enhance international exchange and cooperation, especially the regional cooperation on sand storm prevention in Northeast Asia, according to the national conditions and the situation of sandification in China , and consolidate the management results. In pursue of green is a symbol of modern civilization and our ultimate goal as well. Sand prevention and control in China shoulders heavy responsibilities, yet we are confident and determined to make new achievements under the able guidance of the Party and the State Council.
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