Effects of the grain-for-green program on soil erosion in China

Severe soil erosion is a serious environmental problem in China. In 1999 the Chinese government implemented the Grain-for-Green Program (herein referred to as the Program), a well rounded program of ecological reconstruction to help control the country's soil erosion problems. This study quantitatively analyzed the impacts of the Program using data from 11 Chinese river systems to evaluate the effects of the Program on soil erosion. Results show runoff decreased and the soil erosion significantly decreased because of an increase in the area of farmland-converted forestlands. When comparing two time periods, 2003-2007 and 1998-2002, runoff and soil erosion were reduced by 18% and 45.4%, respectively. Therefore, the Program has the effect of controlling soil erosion while producing ecological benefits.