Deserts are natural landscapes formed over geological history. The age of a desert can range from tens of thousands to tens of millions of years. Meanwhile, desertification is the degradation of vegetation caused by human misuse or overexploitation of natural resources. This process impacts all aspects of life, from agriculture to daily living.
Yilalt, a local resident of Ulan Buh, noted that areas that were once green, where licorice was cultivated, are now buried under sand. In just 10 to 20 years, sand dunes have advanced nearly 500 meters.
Agriculture in this region thrives along the Yellow River, while the Ulan Buh Desert is located upstream of this river. When the northwestern winds blow, the desert is pushed down into agricultural areas in the form of windblown sand. This greatly affects crop production.
If the desert sand moves faster over a longer distance, it will be carried down to the river, causing sedimentation in the Yellow River. This seriously impacts the development of water resources along the river, potentially leading to floods and other disasters.
What is happening in Ulan Buh is just a small part of the overall desertification issue. In China, the area affected by desertification exceeds 2 million square kilometers. Therefore, to combat this situation, China needs collective efforts from many people. So, what exactly should China do?
Biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA) sand barriers are a key innovation behind China’s remarkable achievements in sand control.
Mr. Yu Yi is the inventor of the biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA) sand barrier technology. This technology is crucial to China’s significant accomplishments in sand management.
Unlike traditional barriers, he stated that these barriers are completely biodegradable and can now be mass-produced. These barriers adhere firmly to the sandy surface and have a very solid structure.
The PLA sand barrier features threads similar to self-dissolving surgical sutures, making it biodegradable, generating minimal waste, causing low pollution, and being non-toxic. Stacking them enhances the barrier’s stability due to their inherent weight.
The biodegradable polylactic acid barriers also protect solar farms from the impacts of shifting sands.
This new barrier technology utilizes sand as its core, offering several advantages over traditional barriers. These new barriers are more convenient to transport, easier to assemble, more durable, and environmentally friendly. They facilitate the industrialization and scalability of desertification control efforts.
The Experimental Forestry Center in North Central China, part of the Chinese Academy of Forestry, has promoted the implementation of this technology in Inner Mongolia. This technology is expected to be deployed in areas that require desertification control.
Mr. Wang Tiekun is responsible for the sand barrier installation project in the Ulan Buh Desert. He mentioned that they chose this location due to its lack of rainfall and water. The harsh environment will allow them to clearly observe the effectiveness of the PLA sand barriers.
After 3-4 years of installing barriers combined with planting Calligonum trees, green blankets have emerged, preventing sand encroachment. This has instilled confidence in their ability to combat and manage sand.
This confidence has been proven. China once faced severe desertification issues. In fact, it is one of the countries most heavily affected by desertification in the world. However, China has now become the first country to achieve a balance in land degradation. This is a goal recognized by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification.
