Description

Earth Report travels to Alashan in Mongolia where the traditional grassland ecosystem is being eaten away by the desert. Experts are working to find the cause of this desertification and ways to lessen the impact of the local population.

Transcript

Causes of Desertification in Alashan, Mongolia] Correspondent: Water is the source of life and for much of Alashan it comes from the Helan Mountain Range. Now a nature reserve the Helan Mountains have consistently fed plain and the aquifers below it. With a steady stream of water that’s vital for the capital of Alashan, Bayanhaote. Zhou Ding (Administration Office for Agenda 21, Alashan): 50 years ago there were 50 springs in the area and 3 rivers float the route Bayanhaote. Alashan’s 270,000 square km where 800 small lakes it was very beautiful. Correspondent: But since 1950 the situation has completely changed. All of the springs on the plain are gone. The three rivers are dry and the 800 small lakes ¾ have disappeared. What caused such a huge change in so short a time.\ Zhou Ding (Administration Office for Agenda 21, Alashan): The first reason I think is the increase in human activity which has created greater pressure on the natural environment. The second reason is livestock on the grasslands. Too many animals on the grasslands puts too much pressure on the ecosystem. Thirdly is the poor management of water resources. What wasted our water reserves the most important reason is tree cover. The trees have been cut down. Trees are essential and the last line of defense but the trees are destroyed. The results are disastrous. Correspondent: Bayanhaote sits above two underground reservoirs fed by the waters coming from the Helon Mountains. One directly below the city was estimated to hold 700 million cubic meters of water and is now completely depleted. The other large aquifer is still thought to contain 2.7 billion cubic meters. After years of unplanned growth and excessive water use officials and experts are seeking ways to limit dependence on the underground supplies. A pipeline is being built to the liver water directly from the mountains to the city to ensure the large aquifer is not depleted and to try to allow the already depleted one to recover. For the people living at the edges of the desert and for the government officials who’s responsibility it is to address the growing problem the current trend is alarming. Yannick Glemarec (United Nations Development Programme): What we can say for sure is that the pace of desertification is dramatically increasing. It has the most increase by 100% since the 50s. Correspondent: In the war against the desert Zhong Bia Li is the ecological frontline. Although the sand began to accumulate only 5 or 6 years ago the growing desert has already overwhelmed several families and many more are threatened. Li Xue Ming and his brother Li Xue Hue both moved to Zhong Bia Li more than 20 years ago expecting to expect their whole lives here. Along with almost all the people in Alashan they’re dependent on goat herding which is a major factor in desertification here. Li Xue Ming (Herder): I raise goats. Correspondent: How many goats do you have? Li: I have got more than 200. Correspondent: Although it is the frontline it’s far from well provision for a prolonged battle against the sand. The local people have little understanding of the causes of desertification and are poorly prepared to combat it.\ Li Xue Ming (Herder): There is less rain. I don’t remember there ever been so little rain. Before it always rain during cloudy days but now it doesn’t and when there is rain it is very light.