Desertification not reversed despite controversial policies
Jan 4 (Guardian): Despite the world’s biggest tree-planting campaign, the relocation of millions of “eco-migrants” and restrictions on herding and farming, the report noted the “desertification trend has not fundamentally reversed”.
China has controversially moved hundreds of thousands of nomads off degraded grasslands in the past 10 years. Tibetans are suspect this is being done to clear land for development or resource extraction. Many environmentalists also question whether it is a mistake to put too much of the blame on overgrazing.
“The grass doesn’t grow well without animals so herding limits may not be the best solution,” said Wang Yongchen, an environmental activist who has seen the impact on annual visits to the plateau.
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