A five-year program to combat desertification, which severely affects China's environment and threatens the lives of nearly 400 million people, is to be launched this year.

By 2010, desertification could be brought under control on about 17 million hectares of land across China. "This will be done mainly by closing hillsides for grazing to facilitate afforestation and to rehabilitate vegetation," a forestry official said.

Zhu Lieke, deputy director of the State Forestry Administration (SFA), said at a press conference yesterday in Beijing that some desert areas will be rehabilitated in five major regions, mostly in western China's arid areas.

Also, oases neighboring major deserts and semi-arid northwestern provinces plagued by overgrazing or over-farming will be targeted.

The government will relocate some people living in fragile ecosystems as a way to prevent further man-made damage.

He was confident that China can curb the expansion of over one-third of its desert areas.

Getting the nod from the central government for the project, increasing funds are to be spent on various desertification-control projects through multiple channels, he indicated, but gave no details.

However, he made it clear that the green light would be given to local authorities to raise funds themselves for regional projects.

"Loans with a subsidized interest rate will be available for those engaged in developing desertification-control industry, such as grass growing," he confirmed.

(China Daily March 10, 2005)