# Desertification in China's northwest



## Rosemary (Oct 23, 2008)

In the Minqin county of China, workers have been building biological barriers using hay to create grid patterns that stabilise sand dunes and prevent desertification. 


[FONT=&quot]The county is one of the major sources of China's sandstorms and groundwater levels are dropping about one metre every year.[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]Two thirds of China's water consumption is used for agricultural irrigation. [/FONT]About one-quarter of China's landmass is desert. The nation has nearly 25 per cent of the world's population.  with just seven per cent of the world's arable land.

The Chinese government has spent billions attempting to prevent further invasion of the desert in Minqin by introducing vegetation and planting trees.

*I’m glad to hear they are doing something about it now, although it’s going to take a very long time to plant all those trees to help stabilise the situation, despite the population to help.*

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/telegraph/multimedia/archive/01013/prepare-work_1013470i.jpg


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## dustinzgirl (Oct 23, 2008)

I watched a show about farming in China. One of the problems with the large population help is that the majority of the population that lives against the desert basically is very poor population that spend day and night trying to carve out a living. The interventions of the gov't are not always kind nor viable for the population, some areas they work on gov't deemed things without pay and then have to go work their meager farms, because the gov't tells them too. At least that was according to the documentary on Discovery channel or whatever it was.


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## Nik (Oct 23, 2008)

The work in sub-Sahara shows that this *can* work. Snag is the effort diverted to 'remediation' may make things worse before better...


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## tangaloomababe (Oct 24, 2008)

Thanks for the article Rosie.

Well far better the Chinese Government to spend billions of dollars on this project than India's quest to colonize the Moon. At least the Chinese goverment is making attempts to make the land arible again so that people can make a living and grow crops.  Yes Dusty your probably right the people most likely do work without pay but in the long run maybe not then parents but their children and grandchildren will benefit if the land is usable again.


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## Fake Vencar (Oct 24, 2008)

25% of China's landmass is desert? Something new to me, I didn't know that!


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