Since the last national conference on desertification control was held for more than ten years, especially since the beginning of the new century, the CPC Central Committee and the State Council have taken a series of effective measures to comprehensively promote the cause of national defense and desertification control. We have achieved a net reduction in the area of desertified land in the whole country, effectively improved the ecological conditions and production conditions of agriculture and animal husbandry, promoted the adjustment of rural economic structure and the transformation of production methods, and safeguarded national unity and border stability. It has made important contributions to the national ecological improvement, economic development and social progress, and embarked on a road to solve the desertification problem that is suitable for China's national conditions and has China characteristics. This is the result of the hard struggle of the people in the sand area and the vast number of sand control workers, and it is a great success of the principles and policies of the party and the state for ecological construction.
China is one of the countries with the most serious land desertification hazards in the world. China has 1.7397 million square kilometers of desertified land, accounting for nearly 1/5 of the national territory. The west, ethnic minority areas and border areas are the main distribution areas of desertification land. Land desertification affects the production and life of nearly 400 million people in China, and desertification is still expanding in some areas. This basic national condition determines that desertification has always been a major problem that must be dealt with in the process of China's modernization.
The cause of harmony is based on ecology. This is not only an urgent need to improve the quality of life of people in sand areas and build a new socialist countryside, but also an urgent need to enhance national unity and build a harmonious socialist society. This is not only an urgent need to maintain and expand the survival and development space of the Chinese nation and promote the sustainable development of China's economy and society, but also an urgent need to effectively implement the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification and maintain global ecological security. We should fully understand the extreme importance of strengthening sand prevention and control work from the perspective of protecting the foundation of the survival and development of the Chinese nation, promoting sustainable economic and social development and building a harmonious socialist society. With a highly responsible attitude towards the country, the nation and future generations, we will truly put sand prevention and control in the strategic position of the country's economic and social development, truly put it in the first place in the economic and social development of sand areas, earnestly shoulder the glorious mission entrusted by the times, and unremittingly push forward the cause of sand prevention and control.
In the new period, we must fully implement Scientific Outlook on Development, adhere to the policy of putting prevention first, scientific management and rational utilization, follow the laws of natural, economic and social development, and implement comprehensive, scientific and legal prevention. It is necessary to firmly establish the idea of long-term struggle, widely mobilize the participation of all social forces, establish and consolidate the ecological security system of sand areas with forest and grass vegetation as the main body, and consolidate the achievements in the construction of governance areas as soon as possible. As soon as possible, curb the expanding trend of land desertification, obviously improve the ecological situation of the vast sandy areas as soon as possible, and make greater contributions to building a new socialist countryside and building a harmonious socialist society.
In the historical process of national defense and sand control in China, a large number of advanced sand control collectives and heroes have emerged. They are loyal guardians of environmental protection and the heroes of ecological construction in China. Their tenacious struggle and dedication will inspire more people to join the cause of sand control. Let's work hard and make unremitting efforts to create a more harmonious and beautiful life and write a more magnificent chapter on sand control.
2. New ideas of desert control
China has more than 700,000 square kilometers of desert, 570,000 square kilometers of Gobi desert and10.5 million square kilometers of plateau desert, all of which are basically in the western region. Moreover, the desert is still expanding at a rate of more than 3,400 square kilometers per year, which has become a source of worry and disaster in China. Transforming these deserts has always been the dream of several generations of mankind. However, due to factors such as insufficient financial input and limited water resources, little progress has been made in greening and sand control: local improvement and overall deterioration.
Recently, I read "Good Strategy for Sand Control-Covering the Desert" by Little Citizen in the forum of powerful countries, and I think that "covering the desert" is indeed a new idea for sand control. However, according to his article "gradually covering the desert with solar panels", although there are some benefits mentioned in the article, there are also some problems: for example, the cost is too high and there is no market for power generation-on the one hand, the current solar energy.
In this regard, the author believes that it may be possible to cover sand control with cheap plastic woven cloth and plastic film-that is, cover it on the sand and hold it down with sandbags, so that the dust will not be blown away by the wind, because on the one hand, it can greatly reduce the cost and improve the economic feasibility of "gradually covering the desert with solar panels". On the other hand, compared with greening and sand control methods such as planting trees and grass, covering sand control has the advantage of not being limited by water resources and seedlings. Limited by planting time, large-scale construction can be carried out day and night all the year round (because plastic woven cloth and plastic film can be industrialized and mass-produced compared with seedlings to meet the needs of large-scale construction). At the same time, the effect is faster, because it takes time to plant trees and grass, and it is difficult to ensure that everyone can survive. In fact, the Three-North Shelterbelt previously built in China is in danger of being destroyed due to lack of water.
Although covering sand control can not bring direct return to this project, considering that this project can promote employment (because it is a labor-intensive project) and stimulate economic growth; At the same time, it can reduce the harm caused by sandstorm invasion and desert expansion, and indirectly increase the output; In addition, it has created favorable conditions for gradual greening and the large-scale development of the western region, that is, when there is water, it can be uncovered for greening again or used for industrial and agricultural development. It should be a public project with good social benefits and worthy of government consideration.
Of course, the feasibility of covering sand control with cheap plastic woven cloth and plastic film needs further study: for example, how long can plastic film resist "wind and sun", that is, how high the maintenance cost is? Which scheme is better than using expensive "wind and sun" resistant mulch? Can you find a cheap and "wind and sun" resistant mulch? ! At the same time, it is necessary to compare in detail the short-term and long-term costs and short-term, long-term, direct and indirect benefits of green sand control methods such as covering sand control. If the comprehensive cost of covering sand control is too high, it may be difficult to implement, or it can only be used in places where it is really difficult to green sand control, that is, flowing sand dunes lacking water, ancient lakes prone to sandstorms, saline-alkali land and so on. If it is only slightly higher than the sand control by covering soil, the sand control project by covering soil can be implemented considering the above benefits.