There will be fewer major sandstorms this spring, according to the
China National Environmental Monitoring Centre.
But the country's western regions may experience more sandstorms than eastern
areas this year, due to a major source of this scourge in Northwest China's
Gansu Province, the centre said.
On the whole, there will be fewer sandstorms this spring, it added.
Meanwhile, a report in Friday's edition of the People's Daily said that the
China Meteorological Administration recently made a similar prediction.
According to a report from the centre, the environment in the northern part
of Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and Alxa League in North
China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in 2004 did not experience any
noticeable changes.
The intensity and occurrence of sandstorms in such regions will be at the
same level this year as it was last year.
As for the region to the west of the Yellow River in Northwest China's Gansu
Province, there was little rainfall last year, meaning that there will be more
sandstorms this year, the report said.
At the same time, there will be fewer sandstorms in the central and northern
area of Inner Mongolia and on its Hunshandake Desert this year due to better
vegetation, said the report.
Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia and Gansu are major sources of sandstorms in China.
In Northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region and the northern part of
Northwest China's Shaanxi Province, where sandstorms usually pass through and
strengthen, both the environment and vegetation were improved in 2004, meaning
that they will make a smaller contribution to sandstorms this year, the report
said.
Sandstorms used to be front page stories in China's newspapers in the spring,
with unceasing efforts to fight this scourge.
The country's first major sandstorm database was set up in Gansu Province
last year.
It gathers general information, and data related to duststorm cases and
disasters, and references and documents.
