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Sandstorms to worsen
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SANDSTORMS will hit China's northern cities more often and with more force in coming years, new research suggests.
The study, which was conducted by the State Administration of Environmental Protection and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, showed the expanding deserts and climatic changes were the two major reasons behind sandstorms, according to a report by the China Youth Daily on Monday.
Twenty experts from the academy went to the affected areas last month to collect information on sandstorms, the report said.
The group concluded that most sandstorms originated from four areas: the Hexi corridor in the Gansu-Ningxia area, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and the border area between Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and Shaanxi Province.
The scientists said although sandstorms were not new, they had happened much more frequently in recent years after showing signs of improvement during the 1980s and 1990s.
After analysing environmental and climatic changes in the areas, the scientists predicted the problem --- both in terms of the frequency and magnitude of sandstorms --- would get worse.
They also found that poor use of water resources and desertification were contributing to the problem.
The scientists said the lack of protection of water resources in upstream areas of the Yellow and Yangtze rivers --- in regions such as Qinghai Province and Tibet Autonomous Region --- would significantly changed the eco-balance in downstream provinces. As a result, desertification would accelerate when farmers in downstream provinces were forced to give up farming after water supplies dried up.
Problems became worse when farmers moved to marginal areas to farm. The scientists warned that in these cases, the farmers often tended to overwork the land, causing further damage to the environment.
The scientist urged more tree planting and protection of green areas.(SD-Agencies)
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