RestoredlandintheKubuqiDesertinnorthChina鈥檚InnerMongoliaAutonomousRegionXINHUAMengkeDalaiwantedtoescapefromtheKubuqiDesertwhereecologicaldegradationwasmakinghislifeincreasinglyharsh.鈥淭hegrasslandbecamesandyasthegrassdisappeared.Afterthatwestruggledtocontinuewithourwayoflife,eventhoughgenerationsofherdsmenhadlivedonthispasturebeforeus,鈥漢erecalled.Finally,theethnicallyMongolianherdsmaninHangginBannerinOrdos,northChina鈥檚InnerMongoliaAutonomousRegion,movedtoanewcommunityforherdspeopleinthebanneralongwithhisfellowvillagersin2006.Therelocationwaspartofagrasslandrestorationprojectlaunchedbythelocalgovernment.
GrazingwasbannedonthedegradedpastureintheKubuqi,theseventhlargestdesertinChina,inabidtorestoretheland.Newgreenindustrieshavealsobeencreated.鈥淓verythinghaschanged.Thedeserthasbeguntoturngreenandrainfallhasincreased,鈥滿engkeDalaisaid.
Asoneofmanyherdspeoplenowbenefitingfromthedesert,MengkeDalai鈥檚lifehasdramaticallyimproved.鈥淧eoplenowenvyusforourdesert-turned-oasis,鈥漢esaid.
Thedegradationofgreenlandisoneofthemostsevereenvironmentalproblemsfacingtheworldtoday.AccordingtoarecentreportreleasedbytheUnitedNationsConventiontoCombatDesertification(UNCCD),desertificationcouldresultineconomiclossesworth$23trillionworldwideinthefuture.
China,asacountrywithalargeareaofdesert,hasnearly2.61millionsquarekmofdegradedland.ButChinahasalsobeenoneofthemostsuccessfulcountriesincombatingdesertificationandhasvaluableexperiencetosharewiththeinternationalcommunityoncurbingthedestructiveprocess,ErikSolheim,UNUnderSecretaryGeneralandExecutiveDirectoroftheUNEnvironmentProgram,saidonSeptember12,2017.
TheKubuqiisavividexampleofdesertgreening.
Kubuqi鈥檚practice
InacongratulatorymessagesenttotheSixthKubuqiInternationalDesertForuminJuly2017,PresidentXiJinpingsaidthatChinahasalwaysemphasizedthepreventionofdesertification.Significantachievementshavebeenmade,whichcontributetotheconstructionofthenationandprovideChinawithexperienceofecologicalimprovementwhichcanbenefittheinternationalcommunity.
TheKubuqiislocatedinHangginBanner,800kmfromBeijing,andthe18,600-squarekmdesertishometofrequentsandstorms.
Afour-prongedmodelinvolvingcombatingdesertification,restoringecology,developingindustryandalleviatingpovertyhasbeenthekeyfactorintheKubuqi鈥檚success.Itwasjointlyestablishedthroughpolicyguidancefromthegovernment,capitalinvestmentfromenterprises,theparticipationoffarmersandherdspeopleandtheinnovationoftechnology.Intheprocessofcombatingdesertification,asystemcombininglandreclamation,grasslandfarming,healthcare,tourism,photovoltaicpowergenerationandothergreenindustrieshasbeendevelopedand,inturn,isacceleratingtheprogressofdesertificationcontrol.
ElionResourcesGroupisonesuchenterpriseleadingthewayinharnessingthepotentialofthedesert.WangZhanyi,GeneralManagerofthecompany鈥檚BrandCenter,toldBeijingReviewthataftermorethan30yearsofgreeningthedesert,theirnotionoftamingsuchlandscapeshasundergoneatransformationfrompassivenesstotakingtheinitiative.QixingLakeinHangginBanner,InnerMongoliaAutonomousRegion,onJuly25XINHUA
Foundedin1988,Elionwaspreviouslyanear-bankruptsaltworksontheedgeoftheKubuqi.鈥淚twasinanisolatedareawherewater,power,roadsandcommunicationwerenoteasilyaccessible,鈥漵aidWang.Worseningdegradationalsobecameahugeobstacletothecompany鈥檚development.Inafightforsurvival,Elionresolvedtofindawaytotacklethespreadofthedesert.
Elionhasobtainedmorethan300nationaltechnologypatentstocombatdesertification,theresultofresearchandinnovationfromaprofessionalteam.AccordingtoWang,itnowtakesonly10secondstoplantatreeintheKubuqi,withbigdatautilizedtoguidetheactivitiesofafforestationwithoutviolatingnature鈥檚rules.Inadditiontoprogressontheground,Elionhasinvestedinthebuildingofaplantgermplasmbanktopreserveendangeredandrarespeciesofplant.
Wangsaidthatwhiledesertificationisadesperateproblem,iftackledproperly,italsocanbeseenasagoodopportunityforthedevelopmentofthelocaleconomyandtoimprovethelifeoflocalresidents.
Forexample,thecommunitywhereMengkeDalailiveswasbuilttoimprovethelivingconditionsofpeopleinneed.Farmersandherdspeoplewereencouragedtomovethere,supportedbythelocalgovernmentandElion.Inadditiontoa50,000-yuan($7,278)livingallowanceanda40-squaremeterhouse,therelocatedhouseholdsareabletobuymorefloorspaceatadiscountedprice.
Localresidentsalsobenefitfromthegrowingeco-tourismindustryinHangginBanner,whichhasbeguntoprovidealargenumberofemploymentopportunitiesinrecentyears.AccordingtoaXinhuaNewsAgencyreport,inthepast10years,touristattractionsinOrdosreceivednearly10millionvisitorsandgenerated2.46billionyuan($358million)inprofit.
鈥淭hegovernmentencouragesustostudytheexperiencesofothercitiesandimproveourservices,鈥漵aidMengkeDalai.
MoniqueBarbut,ExecutiveSecretaryoftheUNCCD,saidthatthesuccessoftheKubuqiisnotonlyintheafforestationofitsdesertbutintheincreasedwealthoflocalresidents.
ThechangesthathavetakenplaceintheKubuqioverthepastthreedecadeswonrecognitionfrominternationalobserversatthe2018UNHigh-LevelPoliticalForumonSustainableDevelopment.
Accordingtoareportonitsachievementsofthepast30yearsreleasedonJune29,Elionhasinvestedmorethan330billionyuan($48billion)indesertificationcontrol,tacklingthesandinmorethan606,970hectaresofdesertandleading10,200peopleintheKubuqianditssurroundingareasoutofpoverty.
Internationalcooperation
鈥淲esetupagreenBeltandRoadeconomicinnovationcenterwiththeUNEnvironmentPrograminJune2017.Cooperationatthegloballevelinecologyandanti-desertificationisverywelcomeatthemoment,soweorganizedateamtocarryouttherelevantwork,鈥漌angsaid.
WangalsobelievesthatthesuccessofreforestationintheKubuqicanprovidevaluableexperienceforregionswithsimilarconditions.鈥淥urachievementsconveyanimportantmessagetocountriessufferingfromdesertification:Thedesertcanbeasourceofwealth.Itcanbetackled,developedandutilized,鈥漢eadded.
TheKubuqiPPP(public-privatepartnerships)plussystemisauniquecollaborativemodelthathassuccessfullyachievedthebalancebetweenecologyandeconomy,rehabilitationandpovertyreduction.
鈥淥urmodelandexperiencehavegraduallybeenadoptedintheanti-desertificationeffortsofotherprovincesandregionssuchasXinjiangUygurAutonomousRegion,TibetAutonomousRegionandGansuProvince.OurexperienceswillgraduallybenefitcountriesalongtheSilkRoadEconomicBeltandthe21st-CenturyMaritimeSilkRoad(BeltandRoad)inthefutureaswell,鈥漵aidWang.
Manycountries,suchasIsraelandTurkey,havetheirownmeritsinregardtocombatingdesertification.鈥淲earelearningfromtheirsuccessfulexperiencesandadvancedtechnology,applyingthemtoourownpractice,鈥漌angsaid,emphasizingtheimportanceofcommunicationandexchange.
鈥淐hinahasproposedcooperationamongcountriesalongtheBeltandRoadinthepreventionofdesertification.Itinvolvessixkeyaspects:monitoringandplanning,policyandregulation,technologyanddemonstration,informationsharing,thestrengtheningofcapability,andthepreservationofworldheritage,鈥滾uoBin,anofficialwiththeStateForestryAdministration,saidinaninterviewwithPeople.cn.
ResearchersarrangeseedsatthegermplasmbankofElionResourcesGroupinOrdos,InnerMongoliaAutonomousRegion,onJuly11XINHUAChinesesolution
InSeptember2017,the13thSessionoftheUNCCDConferenceoftheParties(COP13)wasconvenedinOrdos.Duringthemeeting,ZhangHongwen,chiefeconomistofChina鈥檚StateForestryAdministration,introducedChina鈥檚establishedscientificandtechnologicalsystemforbringingthesandsundercontrol.
AccordingtoZhang,asystemformonitoringdesertificationwasestablishedafterinvestigationsintoareasprimarilymadeupofdesertandrock.Technologymodelswerealsodeveloped,consistingofrapidquicksandimmobilization,therestorationofvegetationandanoasis-artery-forestprotectionsystem.Atthesametime,nationalstandards,industrialregulationsandlocalplansrelatedtodesertificationcontrolanddegradationmonitoringwerereleased.
Zhangemphasizedtheimportanceofdevelopingtechnology.Chinahaspromotedtheapplicationoftechniquessuchassandbarriers,whichcanpreventthemobilityofsandbycoveringthelandwithmaterialslikehayandplants.
Theadoptionofanefficientandsustainablemodeltotackledesertificationisalsoessentialtosuccess,accordingtoZhang.VarioussectionsofChinesesocietyhavebeenmobilizedsoastotacklechallengesonallfronts.Capitalinvestmentfromenterprisesandtheparticipationoffarmersandherdspeoplearebothcrucialtogreeningthedesert.
Headdedthattheparticipationofdifferentgroupsinthepreventionandcontrolofdesertificationbringsmorethanjustcapitalinvestment,buttechnology,innovationinthemobilizationofsocialforcesandevengoodmoraleaswell.Localpeoplecancontributetotheactivitiesandatthesametimebenefitfromtheachievementsofafforestation.
Accordingtotheagendaproposedatthesession,2030istheyearbywhichtheworldshouldaimtohaltdesertification,restoredegradedlandandsoil,andachieveaworldwithoutlanddegradation.
Atthesession,acooperationsystemundertheframeworkoftheBeltandRoadInitiativewasformedbetweenChinaandothercountriesincludingAlgeriaandCambodia.ThedevelopmentstrategywillberevisedeveryfiveyearstohelprealizetheUN2030AgendaforSustainableDevelopment.
鈥淎nti-desertificationcooperationundertheBeltandRoadInitiativemainlyfunctionsinabilateralway,鈥滾uonoted.ChinahasprovidedtrainingforAfrican,MiddleEasternandCentralAsiancountriesandhassharedtechnologyandexperienceatthegloballevel.UndertheframeworkoftheBeltandRoad,ChinawillinvestmoreinprojectsinAfricancountries.Atthesametime,moretrainingwillbeconductedfortheexchangeofexpertiseandexperience,andSouth-Southcooperationwillhelptoachievethetargetofcompletelyhaltinggloballanddegradationby2030.
NezhaElOuafi,MoroccanSecretaryofStateforSustainableDevelopment,saidthatMoroccoandChinashareaprofoundandsteadypartnership.鈥淎lthoughtheclimateinMoroccodiffersfromInnerMongolia鈥檚,wecanstilllearnanumberofthingsfromtheKubuqimodel,鈥漵hesaid,addingthatshehopesthefightagainstdesertificationcanbeakeyareaofcooperationbetweenthetwocountries.
CopyeditedbyLaurenceCoultonCommentsto