Local government is to invest 16.3 billion yuan (US$1.96 billion) over the next five years to battle environmental deterioration in Hulunbuir Grassland, the country's biggest meadow and part of North China's ecological barrier.

The investment will be channelled into infrastructure construction for ecological protection, grassland upgrading, the construction of a nature reservation, and a monitoring system for ecological security.

The decision was made by the government of the Hulunbuir League under North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, following the suggestion of the China Association of Agricultural Societies and China's Agriculture Experts Group. The latter sponsored a two-month field study on the meadow in July.

The league's chief administrator Lian Ji said ： "We use the money to protect the environment and reap future economic gains, but environmental benefits should be our top priority for the years to come."

The Hulunbuir, bordering Russia and Mongolia, used to be covered with lakes and lush pasture. But during the last three decades, sandstorms, winds and frequent drought have done great damage, according to experts.

"Natural causes including global warming are one thing, but our improper development practices make things worse," said Hong Fuzeng, president of the China Association of Agricultural Societies.

"Twenty or thirty years ago, the country adopted the policy of working to satisfy the subsistence needs of China's large population," he said.

"Many pastures and forests were destroyed to grow grains, and we are now suffering as a result. The situation is appalling and we should take measures as soon as possible."

According to research by Hong and his colleagues, the grassland covers 8.36 million hectares, 40 percent of which has been degraded. Deserts of 880,000 hectares are traversing the grassland.

"Those are big headaches during protection and development and they're likely to expand," Hong said.

But the local authorities are upbeat about the grassland's future.

"With the help of those talents and the policy of agricultural restructuring, we're confident we can halt the deteriorating trend by 2005," said chief administrator Lian Ji.

As part of the country's environment construction plan, the league has begun a massive campaign to plant trees and grass in the farming lands and deserts.

"Instead of farming, stock raising and livestock products processing should be the league's main industry," Lian said.

(People's Daily 09/03/2001)