Combating Desertification in China: An Analysis of Main Policy Effectiveness With Typical Example of Alashan

Abstract

Desertification has been considered as one of the biggest environmental issues at the global level. It threatens large area of drylands and could bring severe consequences for 2 billion population. Thus to combat it has been one of the most urgent missions for the world. However, it is also a large topic around by a lot of issues and debates that needs to be clear understood and treated. Following the indicators from global governing, China, the country who suffers significant desertification, set up its national plan and related policies to combating desertification and made great achievements already. They claim that the desertification has been under control and the area of China's deserts is shirking. To identify the policy effectiveness, in a case study of Alashan, some local residents were interviewed, and the problems which could reduce policy effectiveness were fingered out, including climate challenge, unclear plan and ineffective management.