China s capital will again be under siege from sand. And Beijing s propaganda about combating the grit has a couple of decades behind it as well. But last year s storms were the worst in memory, and many here fear a repeat performance as spring approaches. Suddenly, the government sees the problem as far more than an inconvenience, but an impending ecological disaster. The budget and resolve to fight a serious war against the sand have materialized.
Statistics issued by scientists are part of the reason.
The sand dunes are now within 60 miles of the capital, and creeping closer every day. Some leading Chinese scientists project that sand, unless unchecked, could blanket Beijing within a few decades. Others say the sand is surging forward at 15 miles per year and, pointing to dunes around the western reservoir just 45 miles from the city, say the desert is just a few years away. But the change in attitude is probably more linked to two events. First, a series of 8-10 ferocious sandstorms struck Beijing last spring.