The Project

This EC-Funded research project, which started in March 2007 and will end in 2011, is investigating the biophysical and socio-economic impacts of policy-driven land use change in China’s semi-arid regions. Range enclosure, livestock intensification and nomadic settlement are being implemented by the Chinese government at a scale involving millions of people and vast areas of land. The rationale is to restore degraded land, prevent desertification and improve pastoral welfare.