Impact of China's Large-Scale Ecological Restoration Program on the Environment and Society in Arid and Semiarid Areas of China: Achievements, Problems, Synthesis, and Applications

Abstract

Since, 1978, China has pursued some of the world's most ambitious conservation programs, including the Three Norths Shelter Forest System Project, Grain for Green Project, and the Natural Forest Conservation Program. After 30 years of experience with these programs, researchers have found that improving agricultural technology and providing appropriate payment for ecosystem service (PES) to farmers displaced by these programs can improve both the environment and society while avoiding the malignant cycle in which poverty leads to environmental destruction, which then deepens poverty. However, flaws in the implementation of these programs mean that it remains necessary to watch for damage to the environment and society caused by inappropriate technology and policy.

KEYWORDS:

• environmental policy
• environmental restoration
• food security
• payment for ecosystem service
• Grain for Green Project
• Natural Forest Conservation Program
• poverty
• Three Norths Shelter Forest System Project

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The author thanks Geoffrey Hart in Montréal, Canada, and Karen L. Lew of Lynnwood, Washington, for their help in writing this paper, and Dr. Zhenming Zhang in the Beijing Forestry University for his assistance in drawing the pictures. The author is also grateful for the comments and criticisms of an anonymous reviewer. This work was supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (BLJC 200908).