Legislative proposals for prevention and control of rocky desertification

Among natural disasters which result in decrease of plantation and deterioration of land resource, except the well known desertification and salinization by us, there is another kind of disaster- rocky desertification of land, which is also called “The Earth Cancer” and erodes 2 500 square kilometers of land per year. Besides natural factors, over exploitation of land by human being is the main cause of rocky desertification of land. The basic reason for rocky desertification becomes a severer natural disaster than desertification is the shortage of institutions on planning of natural resources and statutes for controlling, resulting in ambiguity of rights and obligations on utilization of natural resources. The developing speed of rocky desertification is astonishing and the harm is serious. Meanwhile, the control of rocky desertification is also facing with a good chance. The 17th CPC National Congress proposed a strategic objective to build ecological civilization and definitely ask for enhancing governing rocky desertification and promoting ecological rehabilitation. China has raised the prevention and control of rocky desertification to an unprecedented level. Solution of problems in the process of control relies on laws and regulations to make clear rights and obligations of relative persons. However, laws and regulations on control of rocky desertification are almost blank. Thus, the author demonstrates feasibility of legislating to control rocky desertification in this paper and starts to explore and study legal countermeasures in the hope of making contribution to control rocky desertification.