INSERT TABLE 3 HERE
In this review, we illustrate the natural and anthropogenic factors that
affect desertification are the parched climatic condition and mis-
land-use planning respectively. The dominant factors have been assessed
for six countries, including China, Kuwait, Turkey, United Arab
Emirates, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. In five out of these six countries
(i.e. China, Kuwait, Turkey, Sri Lanka, Pakistan), desertification was
thought to be principally triggered and accelerated by anthropogenic
factors that included unsustainable land use, population growth, and
socio-economic development. Whilst, desertification in the United Arab
Emirates was primarily triggered by the natural factor (i.e. wind
erosion). Anthropogenic (human-induced) activities taking up a crucial
role of desertification in the BRI countries, while natural factors
become dominated in some dryness and half dryness regions. Still, the
dominance of natural and anthropogenic factors has yet been assessed in
many BRI countries.
In addition, previous studies on desertification focused on
investigating the impact of natural factors (e.g. climate change,
temperature, wind pattern, etc.) or solely focusing on anthropogenic
factors (e.g. land-use changes, human-induced de-vegetation, new
developments, etc.). Few studies have simultaneously addressed the
combined factors on natural and human activities and their interactions
(Feng et al., 2015, Xu et al., 2019a). Relative contribution on the
combined effect by natural (i.e. climatic change) and anthropogenic
factors influencing desertification is still vague across the BRI
countries. This constrains on the perception and understanding of
current fundamental mechanisms of desertification processes; and thus
limits the capacity of predicting future desertification pattern.
Furthermore, this also influences the development of an assessment
system for desertification accordingly, such as establishing applicable
criteria and parameters of control measures (e.g. surface area and
expansion of desertification, drought, vegetation coverage, rainfall,
etc.). That leads to the misunderstanding of desertification status by
flawed perception and mis-interpretation on desertification, and
eventually causing the development and implementation of ineffective
desertification control measures and strategies (Wang et al., 2008).
Recently, Feng et al. (2015) developed the quantitative approach that
illustrated “a pooled regression model ” to estimate the
combined effect from natural (climate change) and anthropogenic
(human-induced) factors on desertification in China between 1983 and
2012, while Xu et al. (2019) assessed the relative role of climate
change and human activities in desertification of North China between
1981 and 2010. Feng et al. (2015) found that actually the human-induced
(i.e. socio-economic) factor is the most influential driver for
desertification, accounting for 79.3% among all factors and drivers,
while Xu et al. (2019a) demonstrated that the climate change (12.6%)
was more important than human interventions (7.2%) in desertification
expansion. The difference in the findings of the above two research
could be attributed to the difference in the geographical domain of
their study areas (i.e. the whole of China VS North China). However,
similar studies should be encouraged to be promoted further in nearly
future that will improve the understanding about the factors and control
of desertification over wider areas of the BRI region.
5. Desertification mitigation and evaluation - the way
forward
5.1 Desertification
mitigation
The UNCCD is an important platform for desertification control. Whilst,
the National Action Plans (NAPs) are crucial for the operation. Almost
all the BRI countries have signed the UNCCD and worked out the NAPs. For
example, Iran has established a National plan to control desertification
in 2004 that heavily emphasise and promote the community participation
(Amiraslani and Dragovich, 2011). In 2002, China enacted the “Law
of Combating Desertification ”, and afterwards in 2005, enacted the
“National Plan for Combating Desertification ” (Wang et al.,
2013). However, many BRI countries are currently still lacking actual
desertification mitigation/conservation programmes, although they have
ratified the UNCCD and worked out the NAPs. Several countries that
includes China, Mongolia, Myanmar, Pakistan and Hungary have launched a
series of key desertification mitigation programmes (Table 4). For
example, the “Three-North Shelterbelt ” project (Li et al.,
2012), the project is particularly looking after the source and
treatment of sandstorms across NW, N and NE China (Zeng et al., 2014).
Other projects in China for desertificatoin mitigation inlcude the
“Grain-for-Green project ” (1999-present), Beijing and Tianjin’s
“Sandstorm Sucre Treatment Project ” (2001-2010),
“Returning Farmlands to Forest Project ” (2003-present),
“Returning Grazing Land to Grassland project ” (2003-present)
(Feng et al., 2005). Some projects have remarkably benefited regional
eco-environment (Table 4). For example, during the implementation of the
“Three-North Shelterbelt Project ”, China has also revegetated a
huge land area of 2.2 ×105 km2 of
forests and restored 8.9 ×104 km2 of
grasslands (Zhang and Huisingh, 2018).