Desertification in Western China

Western China has abundant natural resources and a great potential for sustainable development. Desertification leads to a rapid decline in the land&s;s production of biomass and potential productivity, and even to absolute loss of land resources. The desertification situation is becoming more and more severe in Western China. Desertification is a serious economic and environmental problem which many countries are now facing, and which China suffers from in a severe form. The main mechanism of sandy desertification is wind erosion after vegetation has been destroyed. The task of prevention and control of desertification is a very arduous and complex one, requiring an enormous amount of work. The plantation work was closely combined with nature conservation. The proportion of land used for plantation and pasture should be increased, with the aim of developing livestock-raising. Both steppe grazing and indoor or semi-indoor feeding systems should be popularised.