a proof China’s determination When it comes to setting out to solve a problem, it is the fight against desertification that affects this vast country. 27.4% of its surface is desertIt’s a condition that affects 400 million people. But the problem does not end there; The arid lands are advancing unstoppably, and sandstorms destroy 2,300 square kilometers of farmland every year, larger than the entire island of Tenerife. However Great Green Wall project It clearly manages to stop this threat as an example of how sustained and far-reaching policies can yield results.
What is the Great Green Wall of China? This is a huge project, considered the largest in the world in forest engineering. The project was launched in 1978 and should continue until 2050 to create an enormous strip of forest 4,480 kilometers long He manages to stop the advance of the Gobi Desert. This initiative is also known as the Three North Project, as this green strip is located in the Northwest, North Central and Northeast, the regions of the country most affected by desertification and crop loss.
Although it may seem like a typical project that will yield no results, the truth is achieves great resultsAs a scientific study published in the journal once again reveals Ecological Processes By scientists from the Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Strong increase in tree area
According to this study, Forest areas created between 1978 and 2017 increased by 158,051 square kilometersIt is equivalent to practically twice the area of Andalusia. The most important thing is not only the area that has managed to escape the desert, but also the effects this has in terms of CO2 sequestration.
According to researchers, reforestation project It created a significant carbon sink capable of absorbing 5% of China’s total industrial CO2 emissions between 1978 and 2017.
The total forest area of the Three Norths project increased from approximately 221,000 square kilometers in 1978 to approximately 379,000 square kilometers in 2017, the last available figures. expired, A CO2 capture system was created for 47.06 million tons of carbon per year during these forty years.
According to other data, Spring sandstorms in Beijing decreased by 70% between 2008 and 2018This shows the positive impact the massive reforestation project was having long before it was completed.
Spring sandstorms in Beijing decreased by 70% between 2008 and 2018
The number of trees planted until 2018 was 66,000 million and importance was given to species. Enterolobium cyclocarpum and others from the Fabaceae family, given their ability to adapt to these terrains.
The Chinese forestry administration is constantly monitoring the development of this initiative. This shows that the desert continued to progress despite the reforestation process between 1994 and 1999, but has started to decline since the last one. anus.
Some voices questioned both the procedure used and the resulting figures presented by the authorities. from the country. For example, it is criticized that in many cases reforestation is carried out in an uncontrolled manner and without scientific criteria, on unsuitable lands and using unsuitable systems or species. “With the Great Wall, people plant a lot of trees to stop desertification in the bud, but no one takes care of them and they die,” the director of the China Environmental Forum in Washington (USA) explained to the National. Geographic: Jennifer L. Turner.
A long-term national strategy
The Chinese government’s effort in this particular region is part of a national strategy to greatly increase the country’s forest area, for which large amounts of public money are allocated every year.
According to official figures of the State Forestry Administration, since 2001, An average of 50,000 square kilometers of forest area is saved annually in China (More than twice the area of the Valencian Community and slightly more than Aragon).
An average of 50,000 square kilometers of forest area is saved annually in China
Investment in reforestation was around 70 billion euros in the first five years of the 2010sAccording to the United Nations Green is Gold report. Restrictions and sanctions against companies that engage in deforestation are increasing. There is no other country in the world that has achieved as much green space as China in this century. However, the country continues to lead the list of countries emitting CO2. And 27 percent of its land is still dry.
UN Green is Gold Report: https://reliefweb.int/report/china/green-gold-strategy-and-actions-chinas-ecological-civilization
Reference work on the Three Norths project: DOI: 10.1186/s13717-023-00455-8
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