Sieren's China: Silk against sand

One of China's worst enemies is its deserts. They have infertile soil, a scarcity of water and sand storms. Moreover, they are expanding. The sandstorms in the spring and fall can even be felt in Beijing. Fertile land is turning into sandy soil where hardly anything can grow.

A fifth of China's surface is already feeling the impact - about 1.73 million square kilometers (670,000 square miles) have been lost to sand in the past 50 years. Some 400 million Chinese citizens are directly affected by the consequences of dry soil, especially in the northwest and west of China. In Inner Mongolia, almost 50 percent of the soil has dried up, whereas in Xinjiang province the same is true for nearly 65 percent. These are also the regions that are feeling the worst impact from the sandstorms, which can be up to 100 meters (328 feet) high and whip up force 9 gales.

This is not a new problem for the Chinese government. There have been studies about desertification in China since 1977 when the first was commissioned by a UN conference. The reasons are also known: overgrazing, erroneous cultivation methods, as well as natural causes such as wind and water erosion because land is not protected satisfactorily. There aren't enough trees anywhere.

The government has long sought a solution, but this is difficult. Every year, some 1,700 square kilometers are won back from the sand, but the deserts continue to expand. The same problem that is encountered in the West prevails. Nobody really knows how to motivate people, in this case farmers, to behave in a way that is environmentally-friendly.

The pressure is on

The following rules of thumb exist: The less people benefit from economic progress, the less willing they are to forego growth in favor of the environment. It's only when there is a certain amount of economic progress that people tend to be prepared to rethink their ideas. This was also the case in Germany. However, the Chinese government cannot wait this long. In the deep west of the Chinese hinterland, it could take a long time for people to change their minds. Police officers cannot force all farmers to act reasonably. This is why China is trying to inter-connect environment-related discipline to economic progress.

The struggle against desertification is being linked to one of the Chinese government's most important projects: the rebuilding of the old Silk Road. The idea is as follows: If you behave in a way that is environmentally-friendly, you will get special conditions for involvement in the economic boom. Nobody knows whether this will work, but it's worth a try. This new order was inaugurated at the 5th Kubuqi International Desert Forum in Ordos, Inner Mongolia last week by Chinese Vice-Premier Wang Yang, who is responsible for agriculture and water resources. The new trade corridor that Beijing is building on the traces of the old Silk Road is supposed to be the focus.

Individual projects are not enough

China is investing $40 billion (36.5 billion euros) into building up the infrastructure in the whole of Central Asia for the new Silk Road that will run from Russia to Pakistan and, of course, in China itself. The underdeveloped western region of China is supposed to benefit the most from the government's new interest. Since 80 percent of China's desert is on the old Silk Road, Wang Yang hopes that there will be more progress if the two are interlinked.

In its next Five Year Plan, Beijing hopes to introduce a model of public-private partnership to encourage farmers, business people and NGOs with financial aid to do more against desertification. The model will first be implemented in the Kubuqi Desert, a region in which a lot has been done to try to fight the sands in the past few decades but not necessarily collectively. The plan this time is to find joint solutions because it does not help if an NGO manages to transform a part of the region into fertile land if a careless farmer allows his herds to graze elsewhere to the detriment of another region.

Economic progress is essential

Everybody has to work together. And everyone has to have the feeling not only of doing some good for the environment, but also of benefitting in economic terms as well. Left to their own devices, people are not as green as some would like. China is currently suffering the most from progress and development. The environmental damages caused by industrialization and traditional pre-industrial ways of life are clashing in China in an unprecedented manner. That's why the task is particularly difficult.

DW's Frank Sieren has lived in Beijing for 20 years.