Wuwei city combats desertification

Wuwei city, in northwest China's Gansu province, has stepped-up efforts to control the extent of desertification in the area, as more than 5,000 people planted trees and paved the straw checkerboard barriers at Tengger Desert on March 8.

Wuwei locals installed straw checkerboard barriers in over 133 hectares of land on the day - since paving straw checkerboard barriers is an efficient measure to lock sand into place.

People pave straw checkerboard barriers at Tengger Desert, the fourth largest desert in China. [Photo/ Xinhua.com.cn]

An ecological city strategy has been implemented in Wuwei in recent years, referring to key ecological projects of water conservation, forestation, desertification control, and pollution prevention. The city has also developed desert-related industries such as ecological agriculture.

According to regulations, local cadres carry an obligation to pave the straw checkerboard barriers.

After years of efforts, Weiwu has achieved significant success in environmental conservation. Since 2010, the city has planted more than 142,266 hectares of forest and paved 25,066 hectares of wheat straw barriers.

More than 5,000 people in Wuwei city, in northwest China's Gansu province, participate in a desertification control activity on March 8. [Photo/ Xinhua.com.cn]

The total forest coverage of Weiwu increased from 12.1 percent in 2009 to 19.3 percent in 2014. Additionally, the city's wetland area now spans 104,200 hectares, ranking the fourth largest in Gansu province. The number of sandstorm days has decreased in recent years, owing to the efforts of workers, volunteers and cadres in paving the straw barriers.

Workers and volunteers from Weiwu pave wheat straw barriers at Tengger Desert on March 8. [Photo/ Xinhua.com.cn]

Edited by Jacob Hooson