According to the statistics by the State Forestry Administration, desertification can be found in 889 counties of 30 provinces and autonomous regions in China (about 14 percent of its territory), directly threatening 400 million people.

Desertification causes a 50-billion-yuan-plus loss to China every year. Ecoenvironment in artificially forested desert is still very fragile, particularly under the strong pressures of population, economic development and pollution.

In fact, China has gained some control over desertification by slowing it down to 1,283 sq km every year, when in the late 1990s, 3,436 sq km of land became deserts every year.

In the near future China will direct its focus of attention to control of desertification in its north part, and stop the expansion of deserts by 2010. Deserts in China might even start to become smaller in 2030, if China fulfills all its current promises. By 2050, all the reforestable desertified land will have been reforested, making China an eco-friendly society.

(Chinanews March 29, 2007)