Desertification and Rehabilitation in the Lower San Gong River Basin, Xin Jiang, China

Abstract

Desertification in arid and semi-arid China is a serious problem. The purpose of this study is to understand the expansion of desertified land in the arid zone. Case study was performed in the Lower San Gong River, Xin Jiang, China as a typical case to study.
The degree of the desertification and the relationship between the devastation and the salinization were analysed by comparing remote sensing data taken in 1977 and in 1987.
It is suggested that suitable land use zoning, saving water for irrigation and breeding of salt-tolerant plants are necessary for the rehabilitation of this area.