Case Study: China Loess Plateau

This case study examines the restoration of the Loess Plateau in north-central China between 1994 and 2005. The initiative, involving the Chinese government and the World Bank, focused on curbing soil erosion and improving food security through terracing, afforestation, and the 'Grain for Green' program. While the project achieved significant reductions in sediment runoff and increased per capita grain output, the document highlights long-term sustainability challenges related to species selection, water shortages, and the reliance on government subsidies.

• The restoration project achieved significant environmental and agricultural gains, including a 99 percent reduction in water sediment between 1998 and 2007, which decreased sediment entering the Yellow River by approximately 300 million tons annually. Agricultural productivity also improved, with per capita grain output rising from 365 kg to 591 kg per year during the second project phase (1999–2005).
• The 'Grain for Green' program and World Bank-funded projects utilized active restoration techniques across more than 1,000,000 hectares. Interventions included terracing and the planting of grasses, shrubs, and trees over 700,000 hectares, which created approximately 89,600 hectares of new farmland and reduced farming on unstable sloped lands from 451,000 to 278,000 hectares.
• Financial incentives and policy changes were critical to implementation. The project budget was approximately US$500 million between 1994 and 2005, providing subsidies such as US$122 per hectare for seeds and seedlings and an annual payment for ecosystem services of US$49 per hectare for two to eight years. Additionally, the government banned cutting trees, unrestricted grazing, and growing crops on slopes.
• The project faced ecological challenges due to poor species selection and climate trends. In some areas, non-native species were planted in grassland-suited areas, and 400,000 Chinese pine trees in northern Shaanxi saw only a 25 percent survival rate. Researchers noted that large-scale afforestation in this semi-arid region could worsen water shortages due to increased evapotranspiration.
• Long-term sustainability is threatened by a lack of local ownership and the cessation of subsidies. A survey indicated that 56 percent of farmers would recultivate sloping land once subsidies ended in 2018. The document suggests that the top-down design of the project may have contributed to a lack of awareness and a lower sense of local ownership.
• The use of check dams to reduce soil erosion has been criticized for negative hydrological impacts. By 2007, 73 percent of check dams in northern Shaanxi were found to be unfit for flood control, leading some experts to advise against extending their use to the entire Loess Plateau.

APA

Buckingham, K., & Hanson, C. (2015). Case Study: China Loess Plateau. World Resources Institute. https://wriorg.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/WRI_Restoration_Diagnostic_Case_Example_China.pdf

Chicago

Buckingham, Kathleen, and Craig Hanson. Case Study: China Loess Plateau. World Resources Institute, 2015. https://wriorg.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/WRI_Restoration_Diagnostic_Case_Example_China.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Buckingham |first1=Kathleen |last2=Hanson |first2=Craig |title=Case Study: China Loess Plateau |publisher=World Resources Institute |date=2015 |url=https://wriorg.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/WRI_Restoration_Diagnostic_Case_Example_China.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{buckingham2015case, author = {Buckingham, Kathleen and Hanson, Craig}, title = {{Case Study: China Loess Plateau}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2015}, url = {https://wriorg.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/WRI_Restoration_Diagnostic_Case_Example_China.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }