How These 5 Countries and Regions Are Fighting Desertification五地治理荒漠化的經驗

李方超

China

First on our list of how countries are fighting desertification is China. Research shows that currently 27.4% of land in China has undergone desertification， affecting about 400 million people. How is China working to tackle desertification？ The nation implemented the “Great Green Wall Of China1” project in 1978 to hold back the expansion of the Gobi Desert and provide timber to the local population. A quarter of all landmass is desert in China， which until recently was rapidly expanding. Some causes and impacts of desertification include “aeolian desertification，” caused by wind erosion after vegetation is destroyed， “water and soil loss，” caused by water erosion mainly distributed in the Loess plateau， “salinisation，” caused by poor water management and “rock desertification，” mainly occurring in the Karst region of Southwestern China.

The Great Green Wall project is expected to continue until 2050 and aims to plant around 88 million acres of forests in a wall stretching about 4 800 km and as wide as 1 400 km in some places. The government has subsidised and added numerous major afforestation projects in more recent years， resulting in the biggest tree-planting project in human history.

The results have so far been positive， as thousands of acres of moving dunes have been stabilised and the frequency of sandstorms nationwide fell by one-fifth between 2009 and 2014.

Africa

Stretching from Senegal to Djibouti， the Great Green Wall of Africa was conceived in 2007 by the African Union as a 7 000 km barrier intended to hold back the Sahara and Sahel deserts. The “wall” is intended to improve livelihoods in the regions impacted by droughts in the Sahel region， sequester carbon dioxide2 and reduce conflict， terrorism and migration. However， lack of funding， technical support and poor oversight has marred the progress of the project. The Great Green Wall of Africa has covered only 4% of its target area more than halfway through its 2030 completion date， according to a UN status report.

However， the project has thus far created more than 350 000 new jobs， USD 90 million in revenue and 18 million hectares of land restoration in participating countries. This 18 million hectares includes landscapes involved in other related regional initiatives as well as 12 million hectares under restoration in Ethiopia alone.

The results varied from country to country. Ethiopia is a frontrunner， having reportedly planted 5.5 billion seedlings. Other countries have lagged largely because of different geographies， levels of governance and economic development. Burkina Faso planted 16.6 million plants and seedlings and Chad 1.1 million， although both nations received more financial support for the project.

Jordan

Jordan is at risk of rapid desertification. It receives little rainfall， with 90% of the country receiving less than 200 mm a year. Deforestation， soil erosion， inappropriate land use and cultivation practices， climate change and drought all contribute to increasing desertification. Rapid urbanisation has also taken a toll. Continuing desertification could have a far-reaching environmental， social and economic impact. For example， the Badia area of Jordan is the main region for livestock production and many people in Badia depend on the rangeland to make a living. Faced with the prospect of losing their livelihood， many of the farmers in Badia might move into the cities looking for work， putting more pressure on urban areas. Less arable land and fewer farmers could also mean decreased food production.

To combat desertification， Jordan is implementing a project funded under NATOs Science for Peace and Security （SPS） Programme. Scientists are conducting research in the Yarmouk Basin， a 1 400 sq km area in the Badia region. Most of the area is at risk for high rates of soil loss by wind and water， which can lead to desertification. Researchers will develop a system to monitor changes in the soil， water， vegetation and climate using remote sensing tools and geographic information system models. This way it will be possible to warn the Jordanian government that desertification is taking place， before it is too late to take action.

The project will also help build capacity among Jordanian researchers and end users. In the first year of the project， young researchers and scientists received training on instruments used to calibrate remote-sensing data for drought monitoring， as well as on the use of new techniques for desertification mapping and soil-moisture monitoring.

Australia

Australia has made Indigenous people guardians of more than 40% of its national reserves.

Indigenous Protected Areas （IPAs） are areas of land and sea managed by Indigenous groups as protected areas for biodiversity conservation through voluntary agreements with the Australian government. IPAs are an essential component of Australias National Reserve System， the network of formally recognised parks， reserves and protected areas across Australia. There are currently 78 dedicated IPAs over 74 million hectares， accounting for more than 46% of the National Reserve System.

IPAs deliver more than environmental benefits. Managing IPAs helps Indigenous communities protect the cultural values of their country for future generations and results in significant health， education， economic and social benefits.

Ethiopia

Last on our list of countries fighting desertification is Ethiopia. It is one of the worlds most vulnerable country to desertification， and it greatly impairs the food security of millions of rural dwellers living in Ethiopias arid and semi-arid regions. Intensive livestock farming and the need for land to plough are the major factors behind these threats to the environment.

To combat desertification， the government intends to restore 22 million hectares of drylands in Ethiopia by 2030. It works in tandem with the UNs Food and Agriculture Organization （FAO） and partners， supporting the Great Green Wall initiative. In 2016， FAOs Action Against Desertification started operating in Ethiopia. It is active in the Gollina， Metema and Raya-Azebo districts of Ethiopias Afar， Amhara and Tigray regional states.

Between 2016 and 2018， 1 600 hectares of degraded land were planted to initiate their restoration， mainly through enrichment of woodlands， assisted natural regeneration and sustainable land management practices.

These countries and regions that are fighting desertification should serve as a word of caution to other countries who are at the tipping point of experiencing devastating land degradation.

中國

關于各地如何治理荒漠化，我們先來說中國。研究表明：中國荒漠化的國土面積目前已達27.4%，約4億人受其影響。中國為應對荒漠化做了哪些努力？1978年，中國實施“綠色長城”工程，遏制戈壁沙漠擴張，并為當地居民提供木材。中國有1/4的荒漠化國土面積，直至最近一直在快速擴張。荒漠化的起因及其影響包括：植被遭破壞，經風蝕形成“沙漠化”;水蝕致“水土流失”，主要發生在黃土高原;水資源管理不善，引起“鹽漬化”;以西南喀斯特地貌地區為主發生“石漠化”。

“綠色長城”工程預計延續至2050年，目標是種植約8800萬英畝的森林，形成一道長約4800千米，在某些地方寬度可達1400千米的屏障。中國政府近幾年投入資金并推進了許多大型人工造林工程，成就了人類歷史上最大的植樹造林工程。

截至目前，成效是顯著的：數千英畝的流動沙丘已得到固定;2009—2014年，全國范圍內的沙塵暴頻率減少了1/5。

非洲

2007年，非洲聯盟提出“非洲綠色長城”構想，意在遏制撒哈拉沙漠和薩赫勒干旱區的蔓延;“長城”從塞內加爾至吉布提綿延約7000千米。這座“長城”意欲改善遭受干旱影響的薩赫勒地區居民的生存條件，封存二氧化碳以及減少沖突、恐怖主義和人口流動。然而，由于缺乏資金投入和技術支持，并且監管不善，工程進展緩慢。聯合國調查報告表明：該工程計劃2030年竣工，目前時間過半，卻僅僅建成了“非洲綠色長城”目標面積的4%。

盡管如此，這項工程迄今已在參與國家創造35萬個以上新崗位，帶來9000萬美元的收入，恢復1800萬公頃土地。這1800萬公頃包含在其他相關地方性倡議下恢復的面積和埃塞俄比亞這一個國家正在修復的1200萬公頃。

各國成效不盡相同。埃塞俄比亞是領跑者，據說已種植55億株苗木。非洲其他國家主要由于地理環境、治理水平和經濟發展的差異而滯后。布基納法索栽種了1660萬株植物和苗木，乍得共和國種了110萬株，盡管這兩個國家都從該項目獲得了較多的資金支持。

約旦

約旦正處于急速荒漠化的危機之中。這個國家降水少，90%的地區一年降雨量不到200毫米。濫伐森林、土壤流失、土地利用和耕種方式不當、氣候變化以及干旱等因素共同導致了荒漠化加劇，快速城市化也難辭其咎。持續荒漠化可能對環境、社會和經濟產生深遠的影響。例如，約旦的巴迪亞地區是主要的畜牧產區，在這里許多人靠牧場謀生。面對失去生計的風險，巴迪亞的許多牧民可能會前往城市尋找工作，這會給城市帶來更多壓力。可耕地和農民減少可能也意味著糧食產量降低。

為阻止荒漠化，約旦正在落實由北約和平與安全科學計劃資助的一項工程。科學家目前正在巴迪亞地區1400平方千米的耶爾穆克盆地開展研究。由于風和水的侵蝕，這一地區大部分土地正處于土壤急速流失的危機之中，這會造成荒漠化。研究人員將采用遙感工具和地理信息系統模型，開發出一個監控土壤、水、植被和氣候變化的系統。這樣便可以提醒約旦政府關注正在發生的荒漠化，及時采取行動。

這項工程也將提升約旦研究人員和終端使用者的能力。該工程實施的第一年，年輕的科研人員接受了校正干旱監控遙感數據工具的培訓，以及荒漠化制圖和土壤濕度監控新技術的使用培訓。

澳大利亞

澳大利亞讓原住民守衛著40%以上的國家保護區。

作為生物多樣性保護區，原住民保護區是原住民群體與澳大利亞政府簽訂自愿協議后負責管理的陸地和海域。原住民保護區是澳大利亞國家保護體系的一個重要組成部分。該體系由澳大利亞正式認可的公園、自然保護區和其他保護區構成。目前78個專門的原住民保護區分布在超過7400萬公頃的國土之上，超過國家保護體系的46%。

原住民保護區帶來的不只是環境效益。管理保護區有助于土著社區為子孫后代保護家園的文化價值，從而產生顯著的健康、教育、經濟和社會效益。

埃塞俄比亞

最后要說的國家是埃塞俄比亞。它是全世界最易受荒漠化影響的國家之一。荒漠化大大損害了生活在埃塞俄比亞干旱和半干旱地區數百萬農村居民的糧食安全。集約畜牧業和對耕地的需求是造成這些環境威脅的主要因素。

為應對荒漠化，該國政府計劃到2030年完成2200萬公頃的旱地修復。該國政府與聯合國糧食及農業組織和伙伴合作，支持“綠色長城”倡議。2016年，糧農組織“防治荒漠化行動”在埃塞俄比亞啟動。這項行動在埃塞俄比亞阿法爾州的戈利納、阿姆哈拉州的默特馬以及提格雷州的拉亞-阿茲博地區如火如荼地進行。

2016—2018年，埃塞俄比亞啟動修復工程，增綠退化土地1600公頃，主要是通過植樹造林、協助自然再生和可持續土地管理的方法實現。

對于即將爆發災難性土地退化危機的國家，這些正應對荒漠化的國家或地區應為前車之鑒。

（譯者為“《英語世界》杯”翻譯大賽獲獎者;單位：四川民族學院）