Experts believe poor vegetation cover and erosion in inland areas mean sandstorms in Beijing this year are inevitable.

Last year, northwestern China recorded average to above-average rainfall and the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region even experienced several snowstorms.

But ground-surface humidity is not the sole deciding factor behind sandstorms, meteorologists said.

Based on information collected by two satellites monitoring the phenomenon, they believe many other factors, such as the strength of cold air, ground-surface vegetation and atmospheric circumfluence are all related to the formation of sandstorms.

Satellite information indicates that the Inner Mongolia, Ningxia Hui and Xinjiang Uygur autonomous regions, and Gansu, Shanxi, Shaanxi and Qinghai provinces are currently suffering from deteriorating vegetation and increasing desertification, which meteorologists believe will result in sandstorms in Beijing.

The Chinese Government has spared no efforts to deal with the destructive storms over the last few years, with the State Administration of Forestry sponsoring the Beijing and Tianjin sandstorm source control programmes.

The administration recently decided to pursue a series of policies to boost the programme and reduce sandstorms in Beijing and Tianjin municipalities.

The sandstorm source control programme officially began in March 2000, with a planned investment of 55.87 billion yuan (US$6.75 billion). It covers 75 counties in Hebei and Shanxi provinces, Inner Mongolia, Beijing and Tianjin, with a total area of 458,000 square kilometres.

When the programme is completed in 10 years, 205,000 square kilometres of desert and eroded land will be revegetated, according to an administration official.

To date, 22,800 square kilometres have been tackled, 1,400 square kilometres of woodland have been planted and 2,100 square kilometres of new grassland and forests have been grown in the regions covered by the programme. Their ecological systems have also begun to improve gradually.

However, it has become harder and harder to carry out the programme, said Zhu Kelie, deputy director of the administration.

To reduce the number and intensity of sandstorms in the Chinese capital as soon as possible, it is imperative to readjust policies for desertification control and afforestation.

New policies will give individuals the right to enjoy the same State subsidies for afforestation as other economic entities.

(China Daily February 10, 2003)