Three-North Shelter Forest Program

Green China (abbreviation :绿色 长城Lǜsè Chángchéng ) is a Chinese environmental project to prevent the desertification of the People's Republic. The official English name for the project is The Three - North Shelterbelt Development Program.

The name of the project derives from the parallel Great Wall. Together is the protection function: During the Great Wall provided protection against the peoples of the North, to the Green wall to hold back desert storms.

The Green Wall is the largest reforestation project in human history. It is considered the best way for China to stop the increasing devastation of entire regions. Especially the poor north is concerned, but must remain habitable according to population.

Desertification in China

In Beijing, every year there are several times alarm for threatened respiratory problems when a sandstorm from the north brings desert sand. This problem affects mainly the north, where the limits are to the Chinese deserts. Through the process of desertification, the People's Republic loses every year 2500 km ² (about the size of the Saarland ). 100 million people are threatened by desertification. The average temperature in Beijing has already risen through the desert heat by a few degrees Celsius. Even Japan, North Korea and South Korea suffer from the sandstorms from China, because they lead in those countries to brown rain and clogged rivers. These sand storms that poetically call the Chinese as " yellow dragon ", are so strong that even dust was found from China to the West Coast of the United States.

Causes of desertification

As in many countries around the world desertification is a result of human influence.

The strong increase in land use overwhelmed the ground since it deprives him nutrients and changes the soil structure. Overgrazing and deforestation decreases the sparse vegetation, the soil loses its strength and is without the protective layer of vegetation -free. By the time either of the precipitate carries the top layer of soil (humus layer ) from, or it dries out and is removed by the wind ( deflation; see also erosion).

Industrialization shares responsibility. 8 % of the land was still forested in the founding of the People's Republic in 1949. As a result of industrialization increased the demand for firewood, which was covered by increased deforestation.

Another problem is the increasing water consumption of industry, agriculture and the growing population. It is made ​​possible with new wells and dams only. The consequences of this is a sinking water level of the rivers - this can lead to the extent that the river dried up before it flows into the sea - and a lowering of the groundwater table. For example, falls China's second longest river, the Huang He ( Yellow River ), dry in its lower reaches and the estuary for about half a year.

Scope of project

The establishment of the Green Wall was begun after the Cultural Revolution in the 1970s and is to be continued until 2050. Until then 350,000 square kilometers of land to be planted, an area the size of the Federal Republic of Germany.

The affected by desertification areas (including wilderness areas) cover about 2.6 million square kilometers. This corresponds to about 28 % of the Chinese territory, which is about seven times the size of Germany.

Method

Wood is very suitable in order to reduce wind speeds and thus to slow the erosion of the soil. Therefore, to be planted in a protective belt through 13 provinces with a length of over 4,500 km and a width of several 100 km trees, bushes and grasses - a wall of forest. The trees slow down the wind speed and keep sand on the roots of the plants give the soil structure and strength and prevent the soil is eroded. Important for the use of the plant is a very fast growth and stability against the desert sand, and at only 100 to 200 mm of rain per year. Tamarisk and poplar trees that are undemanding of their surroundings and simultaneously grow quickly, are particularly suitable. In the future, genetically modified or cloned poplar trees to be planted.

Since monocultures have strong susceptibility to pests and diseases, mainly mixed forests should be planted. But arable land are part of the Green Wall.

The Chinese people are directly involved in the work: Legally every Chinese citizen is obliged 11-60 years to a year to plant three to five trees. As an alternative, there is the option to pay a fee or a fine.

There are various ways of reforestation that will be used: first, the sand dunes are quite traditionally leveled with excavators and bulldozers and secured. Then followed by the planting which is generally carried out by people. Secondly, there is the possibility of " Luftsaat " who developed the Chinese through this project to market. The seeds are dropped from an aircraft. Wrapped in small Lehmkügelchen ( seed bomb) they make it through the first period of growth. So far ( a little more than the island of Rügen area) planted in this way already 1,000 square kilometers.

Structural reform of the forestry

In 2003, China launched a structural reform of forest enterprises. The reform forest areas were leased to individual farmers and their rights secured by deeds. The tenants are now registered as the owner of the trees, which they themselves have planted. In addition, they may cultivate the land, subject to conditions or to transfer their rights to other persons or companies. These forestry structural reform has created an incentive for farmers to invest in tree plantations.

Achievements

In 13 provinces of protection forests have been created. You already cover an area of ​​220,000 square kilometers. The roughly the size of Great Britain. In some regions, afforestation works were already successful. Parched areas where the residents had rid their homes every day from the sand, and inhabitable, the effect of sand storms in these regions declined.

Previously planted forests have reduced the sand transport of Storms by 200 million tons per year.

Since the nineties, China's forest area has almost doubled. In the new millennium a total grazing ban was enforced widely in the endangered areas. Despite all efforts, the desert still spreading in some areas. However, between the years 2000 and 2004 shrank the first time Desertifikationsfläche annually by nearly 1300 square kilometers. This corresponds to the size of the urban area of Los Angeles.

China has a total of 1,750,000 square kilometers of forest (as of 2008 ), and thus the largest reforested forest areas in the world.

Film

• China's green wall. Documentary, Germany, 2002, 43:30 min, written and directed by Achim Kampmann, production: Arte, Discovery Channel, series: 360 ° - Geo- reportage, first broadcast: June 19, 2004 arte, Summary of GEO.