The Great Green Wall: China's Master Plan to Protect the Environment

Beginning:

China's biggest opponent in the world today is America - there is probably nothing new to say about this. Conversely, America's biggest opponent is China. America is trying its best to stop China's epic rise, whether economic, military or political. Since the Second World War, America has been strengthening its strong position as a superpower, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, there was no one to compete with America as a single country in the world. After the great economic rise of China at the beginning of this century, the plans that the country's political leaders are moving forward with to establish themselves as a global superpower, presented America in front of a new reality. China has already come a long way toward becoming a global superpower, raising the eyebrows of policymakers in Washington manifold.

The Great Green Wall: China's Master Plan to Protect the Environment

While China has to move forward against all the American glare and adversity in the global arena, a domestic problem has also become a headache for China. A large part of the total area of eastern China is desert area. Farming is extremely difficult in this part of the Gobi desert. There is an acute shortage of water. As a result, living a normal life is almost impossible. The more alarming situation is that the amount of this desert is increasing every year. As a result, there is a danger that the entire region will gradually become a desert. When a relatively large portion of a country's total area becomes uncultivable due to desertification, it is bound to have a negative impact on the national economy.

 Because, the agriculture which used to be done in this land will be stopped, the people involved in agriculture will face unemployment. Currently, the world population is increasing, additional food grains are needed for the increased population. In such a situation, it cannot be emphasized that the reduction in the amount of cultivable land will not create a deficit in the production of food grains.

Where the people of eastern China once saw mountains or green fields, there is now a barren desert. Due to natural desertification, many inhabitants are now leaving the villages and migrating to the cities. Many of the people living in the eastern part of China are involved in vegetable cultivation. 

But in recent years, the amount of dust storms has increased so much that it is not possible to grow vegetables even if you want to. Because it is not possible for the vegetable plants to survive the dust storm. When dust storms of several kilometers in length sweep over the locality at high speed, various physical problems also occur. Dust storms have recently become so severe that they have blown over Beijing on several occasions. During the dust storm season, hundreds of people arrive at hospitals in China with respiratory problems. Natural desertification has increased the number of dust storms.

A major problem in China today is natural 'desertification'; image source: nytimes.com

The project undertaken by the Chinese government to prevent the expansion of the Gobi desert is surprising. It is believed that no such large-scale project has ever been undertaken in the history of the world. The duration of this project named 'The Three North Shelter Forest Program' is 72 years. This 'safety belt construction' project started in 1978 will continue till 2050. In ancient times, the kings of China built the Great Wall of China, which was thousands of miles long. The main reason for building these wide walls was to protect their empire from outside enemies. The current Chinese government is building a similar wall (The Great Green Wall) to protect them from desertification. Successful implementation of this project is not an easy task. So the Chinese government has been implementing this plan for quite some time. Every year, the Gobi Desert turns about 3,600 square kilometers of China into desert. This project by the Chinese government will protect this vast area from desertification.

A large part of the desert will be afforested under this project; image source: ecobnb.com

The main task of this project is to plant trees in an area of about four and a half thousand kilometers. About 10,000 crore tree seeds will be planted under this scheme. Already about six and a half billion tree seeds have been planted. Only five percent of the entire Gobi desert is forested, one of the main goals of this project is to increase that to fifteen percent. Fifteen percent of the Gobi Desert is the size of Western Europe. That is, if this project is implemented, the Chinese government will gain forest land equal to the entire Western Europe. Under this project grass and common trees are first planted to prevent desertification. A variety of shrubs are then planted, which are able to survive the dry climate. Tree seeds are planted in two ways. In places where it is difficult for the common man to travel, seeds are dropped from airplanes. Apart from this, people are given money and seeds to plant trees in populated areas. Besides, several rich people have come forward to participate in the afforestation program on their own initiative.

According to a study by Minghong Tan, a researcher at the Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research in Beijing, the benefits of this project are already available. Minghong Tan said in an interview, “The situation in vegetable farming has improved. Also, dust storm levels have decreased in the 'Great Green Wall' region compared to other regions." But there are also criticisms of this project. Many experts say that farmers in the region where the project is being implemented often cut trees to expand their land, which calls into question the effectiveness of the project. Besides, many say that in the three provinces where this project is being implemented, the ground water level has already gone down a lot. There is a risk that such large-scale afforestation projects will further deplete groundwater levels. Moreover, after planting a total of 10,000 million tree seeds, how many will ultimately survive and succeed in the project – that is also a big question. They showed that only 15 percent of the tree seedlings planted in China's arid regions in 1949 survive.

The benefits of this greening project are already being reaped; image source: en.people.cn

One of the most discussed global problems today is 'Global Warming'. Due to excess carbon emission, global warming is increasing, which has a negative effect on nature. Warming of the ice-covered regions has led to melting of the ice, disrupting the ecological balance. The area of desert is increasing day by day. Every year large areas of land are exposed to natural and man-made causes of desert coral erosion. Excluding other countries, China alone has about 40 million people at risk of being affected by desertification. At this time, therefore, protecting the environment is a very important matter. This Chinese project will not only save large areas of China from desertification, but also create employment for many people and ensure supply of wood. If this natural project, the largest in the history of the world, is successful, the next few generations of China will continue to enjoy its benefits.