Knowledge-driven institutional change: An empirical study on combating desertification in northern china from 1949 to 2004

Yang, Lihua; Wu, Jianguo

doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2012.06.025

Cited by 21 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 47 publications

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“…Although the implementation of the Three Norths Forest Shelterbelt Program in northern China was carried out earlier (in 1978), recent research suggested that this program failed to meet its goals because the afforestation covered a relatively low proportion of northern China and did not target the areas with higher risk of aeolian desertification (Wang et al, 2010b). Thus, although human activities undoubtedly had some impacts on aeolian desertification in northern China (Qi et al, 2012;Wang et al, 2012b;Yang and Wu, 2012;Wang et al, 2013), our results suggested that climate change, especially changes in wind velocity, may, at least partly, be responsible for decreasing aeolian desertification and increasing rehabilitation of desertified land in northern China. Previous research also indicated that the decrease in wind activity will benefit soil and water conservation, vegetation growth and soil formation by decreasing the land's vulnerability to erosion (Zobeck and Fryrear, 1986).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Changes in wind activity from 1957 to 2011 and their possible influence on aeolian desertification in northern China

Liu

et al. 2015

J. Arid Land

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Wind activity is proved to have significant impacts on aeolian desertification. Clarifying the fluctuations and change trend of wind velocity is important for understanding their influence on aeolian desertification. In this study, we used a dataset of wind velocities collected from 93 meteorological stations across northern China from 1957 to 2011 to analyze the changes in wind activity during this period. We tested the monotonic and step (abrupt) trends for annual and seasonal data of mean wind velocity by using Mann-Kendall and Mann-Whitney tests, respectively. The results indicated that the annual mean wind velocity decreased by 0.83 m/s from 1957 to 2011. The decreasing trends were also significant (P<0.01) for each season. The magnitude of the decrease was smallest in the east of northern China and largest in the west of northern China, and the most remarkable decrease occurred in the northwest of northern China. Abrupt decreases in annual and seasonal mean wind velocities occurred in the mid-1980s, which was consistent with the changes in aeolian desertification since the mid-1980s in northern China. As revealed by our study, although both modern aeolian desertification and ecosystem rehabilitation are affected by human activities to some extent, they are also likely to be strongly controlled by climate change, especially by wind activity.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Changes in wind activity from 1957 to 2011 and their possible influence on aeolian desertification in northern China

Liu

et al. 2015

J. Arid Land

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“…By the end of 2009, the total area of desertification-prone land was approximately 2.62 million km 2 , occupying 27.3 % of China's total area (State Forestry Administration of China, 2011). In recent years, with the increased investment in ecological engineering by the state, the expansion of desertification has been effectively contained (Wang et al 2010(Wang et al , 2013; however, the situation is still severe (Yang and Wu 2012;Liu and Gong 2012). Studies showed that, due to global warming, the scope of desertification may be extended during this century, which threatens the safety of grain production in China (Wang et al 2008).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dynamic and dry/wet variation of climate in the potential extent of desertification in China during 1981–2010

Sun

Gao

et al. 2014

Environ Earth Sci

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The potential extent of desertification in China (PEDC), composed by arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid regions, was re-determined using a high spatial resolution meteorological dataset and by applying the Thornthwaite method, which was recommended by the UNCCD for division of dryland zones (extremely arid, arid, semi-arid, dry sub-humid zones). The dynamic and the dry/wet trends in climatic variation in the general PEDC during 1981-2010 were statistically analyzed using several different methods. The newly calculated area of the general PEDC is approximately 3.222 9 10 6 km 2 , accounting for 33.6 % of China's terrestrial. However, the results of a decadal spatial analysis indicated that the actual reduction appeared in the western region, where the general PEDC shrank to lower altitude areas. Meanwhile, the eastern border of the general PEDC was expanded to the east and southeast. Over three decades, the lower mountainous areas in northwestern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau have experienced an obviously alternating process of drought-wetness-drought, the semi-arid and dry subhumid regions in the east of the Helan Mountains as well as the Junggar Basin have experienced an alternating process of wetness-drought-wetness, and the vast arid region in the west of the Helan Mountains has experienced a process of drought-drought-wetness. In the most recent decade, most areas, except for the major western mountainous regions, have been experiencing a wet trend, which is favorable for combating desertification.

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“…However, the coordination and cooperation among line agencies needs to be further strengthened and more attention paid to integration of different types of knowledge, as the current system can create conflicts of interest and problems with fund distribution, integration of information and data sharing. This is in line with findings by Yang and Wu () that identified working rules of imposed institutional change in PRC that included the need for coordination of multiple goals and the different institutions involved.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Scaling up of Sustainable Land Management in the Western People's Republic of China: Evaluation of a 10‐Year Partnership

et al. 2014

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The People's Republic of China‐Global Environment Facility Partnership to Combat Land Degradation in Dryland Ecosystems promotes an integrated ecosystem management (IEM) approach to restore, sustain and enhance the productive capacity of dryland ecosystems. This paper provides an analysis and synthesis of the funding strategies, methods and approaches that have been applied and tested under the Partnership to pilot and scale up IEM and sustainable land management (SLM) practices in the western People's Republic of China under its first 10 years. On the basis of a mix of methods using literature reviews, data collection at selected pilot sites through household questionnaire surveys, stakeholder workshops and field sampling, the following lessons were generated: (i) mainstreaming of IEM into relevant policy and development frameworks has been the most effective way of mobilizing funding for scaling up of SLM; (ii) SLM best practices need to be combined with economic incentives for land users, and pilot demonstrations of SLM need to be integrated into larger investment programmes to achieve impacts and economies of scale; (iii) market‐based approaches to scaling up of SLM, such as payment for ecosystem services and public–private partnerships, have a role to play, but cost–benefit analysis need to be better integrated into payment schemes; (iv) the economic benefits of carbon sequestration are too low to fund eco‐compensation schemes on their own but can provide supplementary funding; and (v) land degradation and SLM monitoring and assessment systems should be multiscale to support decision‐making on SLM and to monitor impact from the local to the national level. Copyright © 2014 Asian Development Bank

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Knowledge-driven institutional change: An empirical study on combating desertification in northern china from 1949 to 2004

Cited by 21 publications

References 47 publications

Changes in wind activity from 1957 to 2011 and their possible influence on aeolian desertification in northern China

Changes in wind activity from 1957 to 2011 and their possible influence on aeolian desertification in northern China

Dynamic and dry/wet variation of climate in the potential extent of desertification in China during 1981–2010

Scaling up of Sustainable Land Management in the Western People's Republic of China: Evaluation of a 10‐Year Partnership

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