China’s experience in successfully combating soil erosion could be applied in other countries

Almaty. September 7. Silkroadnews – UN recommends other countries to use China’s successful experience in combating soil erosion, China Daily reported.
“China’s success in fighting desertification, or soil loss, is a model that can be replicated in other parts of the world, delegates to a United Nations conference said on Wednesday”, the report said with reference to the conference the UNCCD opened in Ordos, the Inner Mongolia autonomous region.
At the same time, according to the Secretary-General of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification Monique Barbut, “The achievements of China are very encouraging because many of the successful projects are launched in the country's poorest areas with low technology”.
Reportedly, UN deputy Secretary-General and Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Program, Erik Solheim, highly appreciated Ordos’ commitment to the greening of the vast Kubuqi desert, saying its experience in developing an ecological economy in desert conditions is invaluable for other regions and countries facing desertification. He urged other regions and countries suffering from soil erosion - Africa, the Middle East and Latin America - to adopt the Ordos’ Kubuqi model.
The publication reminds, in 2002 China became the first country to adopt the law on the prevention and control of desertification, and implemented projects to curb desertification.
According to the State Forestry Administration, the area of desert land in the country was reduced by an average of 1980 square kilometers per year from 2010 to 2014.
Inner Mongolia, most of which is covered with sand, accounts for 23% of China’s desert lands. However, last year the volume of forest cover increased to 21%. Currently, the region ranks first in the country in terms of forest area, which is 248,667 sq km, an increase of 12,015 sq km from 2014. By 2020, about 40% of the region’s sandy lands will be restored, and wetlands are expected to exceed 60,000 sq km.
The agency reports, the government of Inner Mongolia established 182 natural reserves, three global geoparks, as well as 100 national forest parks, wetland parks and geoparks, and optimized the development of forestry by planting pine in Hulunbuire, Horqin and the Maowusu Desert.