Expansion of Sand Control Measures Planned in China's Inner Mongolia

The Forestry and Grassland Bureau of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, located in North China, has announced plans to increase its initiatives for treating land affected by desertification and other sandy conditions.

By 2024, the region intends to plant over 3 million mu (200,000 hectares) of trees and around 13 million mu (866,667 hectares) of grassland. Additionally, the plan encompasses treating over 15 million mu (1 million hectares) of desertified and sandy terrain.

During the present year, Inner Mongolia is committed to enforcing the Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program with full vigor. This large-scale afforestation project will be coupled with the integration of sand control into wind power and solar energy installations. Simultaneously, the monitoring of project implementation will be boosted to guarantee the survival of the newly planted trees and grasses.

Last year, in 2023, the region had outperformed its annual targets by planting over 5.56 million mu (370,667 hectares) of trees and cultivating over 17.43 million mu (1.162 million hectares) of grasslands. Furthermore, they managed to revitalize over 9.5 million mu (633,333 hectares) of desertified and sandy land with their efforts.

Inner Mongolia, home to four significant deserts and sandy areas of the country, has long suffered due to desertification and sandy soil. Consequently, it has accentuated its efforts to afforest the region in the recent past.

(Cover image provided by CFP)

Lucas Dupont