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Students of Beijing Forestry University test the speed of wind at the university's anti-desertification base in the south part of Mu Us desert, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, June 17, 2006. The base, mainly for teaching and research purposes, was set up on Saturday with various researches carried out. [Xinhua Photo]
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Villagers grow drought-resistant plants in the desert in Shengli Township of Yongning County, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, April 18, 2006. Various measures have been taken to prevent desertification in recent years. [Xinhua Photo]
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Villagers show drought-resistant plants to be grown in the desert in Shengli Township of Yongning County, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, April 18, 2006. [Xinhua Photo]
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Desertification has turned 18.12 percent of Chinese territory into deserts, affecting the life of nearly 400 million Chinese people, the State Forestry Administration said Saturday, the World Day to Combat Desertification.
Desertification has crept into 889 counties and banners in 30 of China's 32 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities. Sandy areas have totaled 173.97 million hectares, resulting in an annual economic loss of over 54 billion yuan (6.75 billion U.S. dollars), said Zhu Lieke, deputy director of the State Forestry Administration. "It has become a big threat to the living of Chinese people and a major challenge to economic and social development."
On the 12th World Day to Combat Desertification, the State Forestry Administration and the State Post Bureau jointly issued one million commemorate envelopes nationwide.
"By doing so, we hope to show the public our achievements in the combat against desert," said Li Guohua, deputy director of the State Post Bureau.
This envelope, with its par value of 80 cent, bears the image of a globe and a branch, half of which is slick and fresh green, contrasting with the other half coarse and yellow earth, like the touch of sand.
To raise public awareness on desertification, it was decided on the 58th session of the UN Conference that the year 2006 is the International Year to Combat Desertification.
Through unremitting efforts, China has currently curbed the tendency of desertification and the spread of desert. Desertified land begun to shrink since 2000 at an average annual rate of 128,300 hectares, against the average annual expansion of 343,600 hectares from 1995 to 1999.
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