荒漠化和沙化土地“双缩减”，一些地方毁林毁草问题仍存在

Core Insights - The long-term, challenging, complex, and uncertain nature of desertification prevention and control is emphasized by multiple experts [1][6] - The National Forestry and Grassland Administration reported a continuous reduction in desertified and sandy land areas since 2000, indicating effective suppression of sandstorm hazards [1] - The global theme for World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought is "Restore Land, Release Opportunities," while China's theme is "Scientific Sand Control, Benefit the People" [1] Summary by Sections Desertification Control Achievements - Since the 18th National Congress, China has intensified efforts in comprehensive desertification prevention, completing governance tasks for 36.5 million hectares of sandy land and protecting 2.794 million hectares [1] - The desertification and sandification indices in 2019 were 2.24 and 2.85, respectively, showing reductions of 0.04 and 0.21 compared to 2014 [1] - The total soil erosion in eight major deserts and four major sandy areas has decreased by approximately 40% since 2000 [1] "Three-North" Project Impact - The "Three-North" project has transformed areas from "sand encroachment" to "green recovery," preserving 48 million acres of afforestation and treating 128 million acres of degraded grassland [2] - The forest coverage rate in the project area increased from 5.05% in 1977 to 13.84% currently, with 61% of soil erosion areas effectively controlled [2] Recent Progress and Challenges - In the past two years, significant progress has been made in the "Three-North" project, with 369 key projects implemented and over 10 million acres of construction tasks completed [3] - However, issues such as deforestation and grassland destruction persist in some regions, with specific cases reported in Inner Mongolia and Shaanxi [5][6] - Experts stress the importance of ecological protection and construction to mitigate desertification, highlighting that without human-induced pressures, desertification would not occur under modern climatic conditions [6]