Luqi: How to combat global desertification amid the cross-border sandstorm

Winds from Mongolia brought with steady stream of sand along the route this spring. Sand dust in and outside China mixed together, causing frequent sandstorm in the country.

On April 25 2023, a small amount of sand dust developed along the border between China and Mongolia and transported by the northern air current to the southeast. In the same afternoon, sandstorm weather occurred in Beijing. On April 19 2023, the visibility of Lanzhou Zhongchuan Airport was only 400 meters. It is reported that sandstorms occurred 11 times in China this year, the highest number in a decade. Yellow sand dust sweeping through cities in northern China went viral online, leading to heated discussions among public.

Why are sandstorms becoming more frequent this year? How do we promote ‘global governance’ on sandstorm weather in response to the cross-border or regional dust source? Based on these questions, the East-West Exchange from the China News Service interviewed exclusively to Luqi, chief scientist and researcher at the Chinese Academy of Forestry.

Below is the summary of the Interview

China News Service Reporter: Sandstorms occurred 11 times in China this year, which is the highest number in a decade. According to the ‘2020 Yearbook of Meteorological Disasters in China’, the average frequency of sandstorm took place in China over the last two decades is 7.8 times. However, the frequency of sandstorm in April 2023 exceeds that number and is still ongoing. What are reasons for more frequent sandstorms this year?

Luqi: There are three reasons to explain this. First, frequent cold air in spring, strong winds generated from Mongolia cyclones and cold fronts provided power for sandstorms. Secondly, unstable weather conditions characterized by sudden increases in air temperature offered thermodynamic conditions. Third, land surface are poor due to 10% to 40% less rainfall and bad vegetation growth in the sand dust source area during the 2022 vegetation growth season. This year's rainfall is 20% to 50% less than usual, coupling with rapid thawing of permafrost, and delayed vegetation growth, the land surface soil was vulnerable to wind erosion. Thus, it is easy to develop sand dusts.

On March 20, 2023. Dust wall is encroaching to Zhangye, Gansu Province. Photo by Wang Chao

On April 10, 2023, residents in Hohhot walking in the sandstorm weather condition. Photo by Genhou Ding

China News Service Reporter: What are the Chinese government's efforts in tree and grass planting to combat sandstorm weather. Some people argue that sandstorm weather conditions have not improved even though the Chinese government has been advancing the Great Green Wall project (officially known as the Three North Shelter Forest Program), and what are the reasons behind these phenomena?

Luqi: According to data, China has achieved impressive results in protecting ecosystems and combating desertification by preventing about 11 million hectares of land from desertification during the Thirteenth Year Plan era (2016-2020). Recently published Bulletin on the State of China's Land Greening in 2022 shown that China planted nearly 4 million hectares of trees and 3.2 million hectares of grass. China also controlled nearly 2 million hectares of dust land and stony desert, and achieved more than 230 million hectares coverage of forest. The country's forest coverage reached 24.02%. China has initiated various ecological restoration projects and turned the yellow desert into green land since 2000, contributing 25% of the green vegetation growth. When benchmarked against 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations, China has shown positive performance in all aspects, especially the impressive improvement in restoring degraded land.

Ranger in The Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region maintained the drip irrigation equipment in dune-fixing forest that prevent strong wind. Photo By Futian

However, sandstorms are a natural occurrence and phenomenon. Land surface of the northwest China, the southern Gobi region of Mongolia, and the deserts of Central Asia are covered with deserts or dust land. In addition, there are deserts or sand dust-covered area caused by human activities and natural causes. As these areas do not have enough vegetation, the sand particles on the barren surface, which do not have the protection from the snow, are easily ‘blow with the wind’ when the snowfall melts prematurely in spring.

In 1978, the State Council approved the 'Three North Shelter Forest Program'. However, the shelter forest is relatively small compared to the ‘source of desert’ mentioned above. This limits the forest’s ability to block sandstorms in spring. Strong winds and cold air impact at a vertical altitude of more than 1,000 meters. The meter- or dozens -of- meters- tall shelter forest can block some coarse and fine dust from the ground surface. But it can’ t block the dust and fine particles lifted by the wind to high altitude. To sum up, the ‘Three-North Shelter Forest Program’ is a significant and comprehensive ecological project. It plays an essential role in improving the environment of northeast, northwest and northern China. It is not a magic solution, but an indispensable long-term solution.　　

China News Service Reporter: According to statistics, there are still nearly 2.6 million desert-covered land and 1.7 million dust-covered land. Is it possible to address the root cause of dust-covered land? Will sandstorms become regular in the future?

Luqi: Sandstorms have existed since ancient times. Although the frequency of sandstorms in China went down in recent years, it never just disappears, and it will continue to occur in the future. Of the 1.7 million square kilometers of desertified land, about 500,000 square kilometers of land can be improved and should be done right away. The remaining 1.2 million square kilometers of land are natural deserts and Gobi regions that need to be protected and restored.

Sandstorms are a natural occurrence and phenomenon. When there is a natural desert, there will be a sandstorm. We must accept the existence of sandstorms. But desertification can be prevented and controlled. Land desertification is land degradation process caused by both natural conditions and human activities. Combating desertification is the most effective way to reduce the frequency and intensity of sandstorms.

Personnel from Linze County, Gansu Province uses straw and reed check board barriers to combat desertification. Photo by Chen Li

China has controlled the overall growth of desertification but still have a long and arduous way to go. As a quarter of national territory is covered by desert, desertification is still a serious ecological issue, and we will face more difficulties in making breakthroughs at the later stage of control. China still has large area of land severely impacted with sand dust with low vegetation, which poses great challenges due to its large scale. Wrongful human activities still exist. And the funding on desertification prevention and control is insufficient. Sandstorm respects no borders. Severely desertified land from neighboring countries, desert- and dust -covered lands in China provided a huge amount of sand.

China News Service Reporter: Mongolia, the neighboring country of China, is one of the sources of deserts. Data show that the sand from Mongolia's Gobi Desert transported to the south and caused several sandstorms in northern China. What are China's efforts to promote international cooperation in desertification control? Do you have any plans or suggestions for future cooperation on this issue?

Luqi: Combating desertification is a common challenge among mankind. It remains a major environmental problem and a bottleneck for development, threatening ecological security and sustainable development socioeconomically. We have four solutions to deal with this issue, that is, formulating relevant conventions and protocols, unifying the global standard on implementation and compliance, building global remote sensing network to capture every tiny changes of drought land , developing a list of global natural desert (heritage site) for future generations and launching the ‘Global Governance’ campaign to achieve zero degradation growth by 2030.

In 2017, the UNCCD COP 13 was held in Ordos, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Photo by Liu Wenhua

This spring's sandstorm weather warned us that human society is a community of shared destiny. Preventing and controlling sandstorms and desertified land growth requires integrated global and regional management.

Sandstorms outside of China could enter the country at any time. As a result, related tasks require global efforts. In recent years, China and Mongolia strengthened the bilateral cooperation in combating desertification. In November 2022, China proposed its willingness to establish a China-Mongolia Desertification Prevention and Control Cooperation Center, pushing the integrated cross-border management, joint protection and well-being of the two countries to a new level. In the future, China and Mongolia will jointly promote the development of the center, providing technology and decision-making support, as well as think-tank services for desertification prevention and control.

Guest Profile:

Born in 1963, Dr. Luqi is the chief scientist of the Chinese Academy of Forestry and the academic leader in soil and water conservation and desertification prevention and control. He has been focusing on desertification prevention and control, ecological management in arid areas and scientific research on macro strategy and international policy since 1995, hosting and participating in more than 30 research topics at provincial, national and international levelh He published more than 150 academic papers ( translated versions included) and authored or co-authored more than 20 publications (translated versions included). Luqi received five provincial and four national tech awards. He also won ‘Outstanding Individual in National Desertification Prevention and Control’ ; ‘Outstanding Individual in National Field Science and Technology work’ and ‘National Outstanding Individual’. Luqi is the national laureate of the ‘New Century Talents Project’ and enjoys special allowance from the State Council.