Zhangye, Gansu Province was hit by a sandstorm. Didn't the Three-North Shelterbelt work?

This is not because the Three-North Shelterbelt is not feasible, but because the harsh environment is really difficult to cure.

On the one hand, the shelterbelts in the Three North Areas cover a vast area, and the places where sandstorms are formed are not always in forest areas. Some sandstorm sources are far away from the Three-North Shelterbelt, and even if the Shelterbelt exists, it is difficult to effectively resist it. The species and density of vegetation in the Three-North Shelterbelt are different, and the resistance of tree species and herbs to sandstorms in some areas may not be very strong.

On the other hand, the degree of desertification in the "Three North" area is serious, and the land quality in many areas is already very poor, so it is difficult to quickly improve the land quality and stability even if large-scale afforestation is carried out.

There are also many reasons for the formation of sandstorms. Natural factors such as drought, high temperature and strong wind will all affect the occurrence and development of sandstorms, but the shelter forest in the Three North Areas only protects one link. If the root protection is not in place, sandstorms will still form. It is difficult to solve these problems completely by planting trees, so sandstorms are inevitable.

In fact, after 40 years of continuous construction, the Three-North Shelterbelt Project has effectively curbed the spread of sandstorms and controlled soil erosion disasters.

Brief Introduction of "Three North" Shelterbelt Project

The "Three North" shelterbelt project refers to a large-scale artificial forestry ecological project in the three north areas of China (northwest, north and northeast). In order to improve the ecological environment, the government of China decided to list this project as an important national economic construction project, numbered 1979. The project planning period is 73 years, divided into eight phases, and the sixth phase has started construction.

The project covers 725 counties (flags, districts) in the Three North Region 13 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government), with a total area of 4.358 million square kilometers, accounting for 45% of the total land area of China, enjoying the reputation of "Green Great Wall" at home and abroad.