Ningxia is winning battle against sand
Updated: 2015-03-17 08:21
By LUO WANGSHU(China Daily)
|
||||||||
Efforts to combat the loss of land to desert have reduced the arid area in the Ningxia Hui autonomous region by 30 percent since the 1970s and prevented sandstorms from sweeping through Central China.
"We've made breakthrough achievements in fighting desertification," said Li Jianhua, a National People's Congress deputy and the region's Party chief. "Ningxia has become known for blue skies, green land, clean water and fresh air.
"As the first region to successfully control the speed of desertification, we have cut the passage through which sandstorms entered Central China."
Liu Hui, the region's chairwoman, said: "It is important to maintain sustainable development. We would rather give up opportunities for economic development than sacrifice the environment."
The region in northwest China is flanked by deserts, and 55.8 percent of its area is sand, according to 2011 figures. This accounts for 22.4 percent of the country's total arid area.
In 1970, Ningxia launched a tree-planting program and other measures to improve the environment and control the expansion of the desert.
The arid area has been cut to 11,620 square kilometers from 16,500 square kilometers since then.
- Made with China is a main feature of CeBIT 2015
- Smog shrouds Beijing after 'two sessions'
- Traditional skill on the verge of vanishing
- China's top 10 mobile apps by monthly active users
- Cyclone Pam claims 24 lives in Vanuatu
- The world in photos: March 9-15
- Freestyle skiing, game for adrenalin junkies
- The CeBIT trade fair opens in Germany
Most Viewed
Editor's Picks
Annual legislative and political advisory sessions |
Spring Festival trends reflect a changing China |
Patent applications lead the world |
BC lures Chinese tourists |
Festival Special: Apps that make holiday shopping easier |
Alibaba places China smartphone business bet with $590m Meizu deal |
Today's Top News
President Xi sees Harvard head in Beijing
Philly wants more Chinese tourists
More European countries to join AIIB
Wyoming may feel China's declining coal consumption
Mutual respect, interests key to US relations
US targets vocational schools in visa crackdown
Washington pitched to tourist
China, Myanmar investigate deadly bombing in Yunnan: FM
US Weekly
Geared to go |
The place to be |