Can China's Great Green Wall Stop Its Deserts From Spreading?

in the 1950s China went through rampant urbanization which allowed room for unchecked infrastructure development the aggressive alteration of their natural land made the nation vulnerable to desertification which led to problems like wind erosion soil and water loss salinization and rock desertification today these deserts threaten a quarter of China's land area have claimed 15% of its land in just four decades and caused annual econ IC losses of around $50 billion the government of China trying to find a solution to this problem embarked on the Journey of transforming its desert into green forests the project is officially known as the three North shelter Forest program otherwise referred to as the great green wall what is the great green wall project are they facing any challenges in implementing it and how does this project affect other parts of the world in 1978 the great green wall initiative was conceived as an aforestation project it was a solution to the problem of desertification that was going on the initiative involved planting trees in 88 million acres of land surrounding the Great Wall of China the government recognized that this initiative would take a collective effort which led to the institutionalization of national tree planting day in 1979 the of March every year is reserved for everyone to come together and plant trees this led to a Nationwide green movement that produced over 78.1 billion trees in just a few decades this project is also designed to hold back the expansion of the GOI desert and provide Timber to the local population the GOI desert claims 1,400 square miles of grassland every year the dust storms that happen because of this are always very severe it causes erosion of ax approximately 800 square miles destroying agriculture not only within China but also in neighboring countries like Japan North Korea and South Korea the official name of this initiative the three North shelter Forest program indicates that it has to have a reach across the three Northern regions the north the Northeast and the Northwest since this project started it has strived to elevate Forest coverage in northern China from 5 to 15% it has significant reduced desertification prevented sandstorms and conserve water and soil in 2003 they began a phase in this project that consists of two main parts the first one is using planes to spread seeds in areas where the soil is not too dry the second part entails giving money to Farmers who plant trees and shrubs in areas that are drier than usual they plan to spend $1.2 billion to set up a system that watches over everything including making maps and databases the wall will have special plants that can handle the sand the trees will be arranged in a pattern similar to that of a checkerboard to steady the dunes there will also be a Stony area situated next to the plants to keep the sand down and help form a crust in the soil the trees will also help block the wind during dust storms China started an extraordinary journey toward a Green Revolution from 2012 to 2022 during this period there were a lot of off forestation campaigns and they covered a stunning area of 960 million new which is equivalent to an impressive 64 million hectares this initiative has not only improved Forest coverage but has also revitalized ecosystems it has resulted in the restoration and expansion of 12 million Mew of wetlands today over 66 billion trees have been planted to put this into perspective the land mass that these trees cover is a equivalent to the size of Ireland as a nation even though trees are the main action of this initiative there are scientific techniques that have increased its effects researchers from Chongqing jao Tong University have developed a groundbreaking solution they use plant cellulose to create a paste that is capable of transforming Desert Sands into fertile grounds an experiment in the Ulen Buu desert converted 1.6 hectar of bar Wasteland into cultivable land this is a signal for quick agricultural potential other Innovations in aforestation and sand control like drip irrigation and sand barriers have increased Forest coverage in areas like mkin the great green wall initiative is set to be completed by 2050 the project faces several challenges such as ensuring its efficiency mitigating potential groundwater Decline and carefully considering native species in Environmental factors in the planting process due to the harsh conditions of the desert the number of trees planted experienced an almost immediate effect from nature the temperature was quite unstable it goes up during the day and comes back down at night there were also issues of water scarcity and soil infertility many of the trees planted couldn't survive these drastic conditions in the earlier days of this initiative they practiced monoculture planting this involves planting a lot of the same species of plants in one area area while this style offers advantages in terms of scale and operational efficiency it also has some ecological risks this approach can drain soil nutrients making the areas even more open to pasts and diseases it is also worth noting that due to the lack of biodiversity one bug or illness May easily wipe out tens of millions of crops however the critics of this method note that it involves not only planting trees but also ensuring they survive and flourish this brought about some diverse ecological Solutions the areas prone to Desert encroachment were strategically fenced there was also the use of seeds that are naturally adapted to local ecosystems even these Solutions came with their challenges it raises concerns about potential impacts on climate biodiversity and ecological balance for instance the creation of barriers might disrupt certain natural processes also altering the land Cape might have unforeseen consequences for local temperatures and heat reflection additionally deserts have their unique mineral compositions which play a role in the global mineral supply chain this transformation could mean the potential loss of these valuable natural resources while the leaders of China have been at the Forefront of this Green Revolution the hard work of individuals and private entities cannot be understated out of the countless people who are dedicated to this initiative Yin yusen converted approximately 4700 hectares of barren land in the uken banner of the semi-arid western region of China for more than three difficult decades into a green field the national people's Congress saw Xi Jinping General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party acknowledged Yin for her work on aforestation yin's efforts according to him are great achievements that have actually improved the whole Ecology of China this kind of person demonstrates how essential individual responsibility is in this strategy during an era of immense National trouble however there are other organizations in the corporate world that have identified the relevance of engaging with these projects one such organization is Ren Ren is a company that focuses on funding projects that are about combating climate change they highlight how complex environmental initiatives are and also encourage the community commun to get involved the company is taking on certain responsibilities to contribute to the success of this initiative they are supporting projects that consist of technologically advanced molecule destruction methods they also support more Grassroots initiatives like collaborating with indigenous communities to preserve and protect invaluable rainforests desertification is a global Challenge and the efforts China is making to curb it have not gone unnoticed by the rest of the world China has actively sought International collaboration to combat this issue they include sharing invaluable knowledge and insights that resulted in Partnerships with Bel and Road countries China has also played a very important role in establishing International centers that are dedicated to the prevention and Mitigation Of desertification this showcases its commitment to Global ecological challenges on an international scale there has been the development of techniques like liquid Nano clay which promises to transform Sandy deserts into fertile ground there are also Advanced Center pivot irrigation techniques these International methodologies if combined with China's already existing initiatives could potentially form a blueprint for combating desertification globally aside from the immediate environmental impact of the great green wall project the initiatives born out of it have socioeconomic implications that benefit community strengthen communities and demonstrate China's dedication to Global ecological goals do you think China's initiative to transform its deserts into green forests will be successful in combating desertification let us know in the comments section and please like share subscribe and hit the Bell icon thank 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Channel: The Impossible Build

Views: 358,253

Keywords: The Impossible Build, china reforestation, china reforestation 2023, china reforestation desert, mega projects, innovation, giga projects, giga project, mega project, construction project, expensive construction project, mega engineering, biggest mega projects, mega projects usa, insane engineering

Id: bO2Hz3oX5d8

Length: 9min 56sec (596 seconds)

Published: Wed Oct 25 2023