Ladies and Gentlemen, friends from the news media:

Good Afternoon. I'm very glad to have the opportunity to meet you and brief you on the desertification and sandification monitoring and desertification combating in China.

In order to keep abreast of the dynamics of desertification and sandification in China, State Forestry Administration initiated the 4th National Desertification and Sandification Monitoring Program, which gained information on the status and dynamics of desertified and sandified land from early 2005 to the end of 2009. Over 6,000 technicians were deployed to get 250 million data from 592 compartments surveyed. The monitoring results indicate that by the end of 2009 China had 2.6237 million square km of desertified land and 1.7311 million square km of sandified land, taking up 27.33% and 18.03% respectively of the territory. The five years from 2005 to 2009 witnessed an annual reduction of 2,491 square km of desertified land and 1,717 square km of sandified land. The monitoring results show that the overall desertification and sandification in China has been brought under initial control, there is a sustained net reduction of desertified and sandified land, but desertified and sandified land in some local areas are still expanding.

Four major changes have happened in desertification combating in China during the 5 years between and 3rd and 4th National Desertification and Sandification Monitoring Program.

1．Sustained net reduction of desertified and sandified land

The 5 years saw a drop of 12,500 square km of desertified land and 8,587 square km of sandified land, a reduction of 0.47% and 0.49% respectively compared with the last monitoring program. There has been a reduction of desertified land in the 18 provinces (or autonomous regions/municipalities) affected by desertification. There has been a decrease of sandified land in most of the 30 provinces (or autonomous regions/ municipalities) affected by sandification.

2．Desertification and sandification have been alleviated.

The five years witnessed a decline of 16,900 square km, 6,800 square km and 23,400 square km respectively in the moderate, severe and very severe desertified land. The five years saw a decline of 9,906 square km, 10,400 square km and 15,600 square km respectively in the moderate, severe and very severe sandified land. The area of shifting and semi-fixed sandy land has been reduced by 7,084 square km.

3．The vegetation in sandy land has further improved.

The vegetation cover in sandified land has risen from 17.03% to 17.63% during the five years. The area of sandified land with a vegetation cover of over 50% has increased by 10,300 square km, while the area of sandified land with a vegetation cover of less than 10% has decreased by 13,600 square km. The varieties of vegetation have remarkably increased in the key management areas for desertification and sandification, resulting in improved stability of vegetation community.

4．The ecological environment in the key management areas has greatly improved.

The ecological environment in key management areas including sandified land in Korqin, Maowusu Hunshandake and Hulunbeir, and Sandification Control Program for Beijing and Tianjin Vicinity has greatly improved. In comparison with 2001, the soil loss from wind erosion has been reduced by 520 million tons or 44%, soil loss from water erosion has dropped by 287 million tons or 82%, and top soil loss has been reduced by 13.52 million tons or 43.3%. Impacts of dust storms on Beijing and Tianjin have been effectively mitigated.

The monitoring results indicate that thanks to the significant policies and measures adopted by the central government and the State Council and the great efforts of the local people, remarkable achievements have been made in these key desertification combating programs. Desertification can be brought under control as long as we are dedicated to the desertification combating campaign. The monitoring results, however, also highlight some outstanding problems:

Firstly, the desertification trend has not been fundamentally reversed. China remains the country with the largest area of desertified and sandified land and a high rate of desertification. There are still 310,000 square km of land susceptible to desertification across the country.

Secondly, the synergy of overgrazing, excessive reclamation, unwise use of water resources and scarce precipitation has resulted in the expansion of desertified land in northwestern Sichuan province and other local areas in the lower reaches of the Tarim River.

Thirdly, vegetation in the desertified areas is still in the initial stage of recovery with poor resilience, stability and stress as well as vulnerability to degradation.

Fourthly, human activities including overgrazing, indiscriminate reclamation and mining as well as unwise use of water resources are still posing negative effects on vegetation in the desertified areas.

Fifthly, frequent occurrence of extreme meteorological disasters such as prolonged droughts, caused by climate change, is exerting adverse impacts on the establishment and restoration of vegetation and increasing the land vulnerability to desertification and sandification.

Land desertification and sandification is a key issue affecting people's livelihood, severely threatening national ecological security and hampering sustainable socio-economic development. China has a long way to go in terms of desertification combating. We shall further intensify our efforts in promoting the desertification combating programs in compliance with the decisions and arrangements of the central government and the State Council so as to improve the local ecological environment and promote sustainable socio-economic development in sandy areas.

Now, my colleagues and I would like to answer your questions.

Go to Forum >>0 Comments