Module4SandstormsinAsiaPeriodOneIntroduction&ReadingandVocabularyBecauseofthedevelopmentofagriculture,theareaoflandaffectedbysandhasgraduallyincreased
Duringthe1950sand1960sthelandaffectedbysandexpandedonaverageinto1,600squarekilometersperyear
Bythe1990s,theareahadreached2,500squarekilometersperyear
ThiskindofsituationisparticularlyseriousinmanyregionsupwindfromBeijing
FengningCityinHebeiProvinceandDuolunCityinInnerMongolialietothenorthofBeijing,andinthelast50yearsthepopulationofthesetwocitieshasgrownby2to3times
Inordertoobtainmoreresources,theinhabitantshavebeenbusywithheavyfarming,treecuttingandkeepinganimals
Theresultisthatthesoilwhichhassustaineddamage,andthesandlayerbelowtheearthisnowexposedonthegroundandthegroundisrapidlybeingcontrolledbythespreadofsand
Chinahasalreadynoticedthisprob