# Sand and Dust Storms: Impact Mitigation
## 5 Policy Measures for SDS Impact Mitigation
### Contemporary National, Regional and International Plans  
A number of countries have developed government policy to help mitigate the impacts of SDS often in combination with other government aims, such as combatting desertification, improving health or wider economic objectives. In China, one of the most ambitious projects to combat desertification and control dust storms is an afforestation project, the Three North s Forest Shelterbelt program (also known as the Great Green Wall (GGW)), launched in 1978 and not scheduled for completion until 2050 ([PERSON] et al., 2016). Other projects include those that focus on land uses associated with soil erosion problems, such as the Grain-for-Green program designed to convert cropland to forest and grassland ([PERSON] et al., 2016), and the Beijing-Tianjin Sand Source Control program, a regional ecological restoration project initiated in northern parts of the country in 2000 ([PERSON] et al., 2016) that involves a mix of measures, including grazing restrictions and the conversion of cropland to forest or grassland (though not for grazing). China also has a National Action Plan to implement the UNCCD, drawn up in 1996 and revised in 2003, and is the first country to establish a national desertification monitoring initiative as a follow-up action. The Desertification Combating Law of China was enacted in 2002. Assessments of the efficacy of these policy developments in remediating desertification in general, and specifically in preventing SDS, indicate the complexities of managing the issues ([PERSON] et al., 2016). The GGW program has greatly improved vegetation cover and effectively reduced dust storm intensity in parts of northern China ([PERSON] et al., 2016), but other researchers point to warmer temperatures and greater rainfall as being more important drivers of greening trends in the area ([PERSON] et al., 2016), and the value of large-scale afforestation in controlling desertification and soil erosion in China has been questioned due to low tree survival rates ([PERSON] et al., 2016). [PERSON] et al. (2016) report that rangeland restoration programs have resulted in a systematic increase in the area of grassland in most northern and western regions, but [PERSON] et al. (2016) warn that bush encroachment is an unexpected outcome of the grazing ban on sandy rangelands in Inner Mongolia. Dust blown from China and neighboring Mongolia has greatly affected South Korea where the first Master Plan for Asian Dust Damage Prevention (2008-2012) has been developed in response. The plan involves 14 relevant governmental organizations and focuses on: (i) establishing a platform for monitoring of dust storms; (ii) developing a strategy to protect against damage; (iii) establishing the Northeast Asian sub-regional cooperation network, and (iv) strengthening disaster management nationally. The second phase of the Plan (2013-2017) adopted a precautionary approach to disaster risk management and paid particular attention to vulnerable population groups. The second plan aims to strengthen the SDS monitoring network to enhance forecast capacity, and to develop a risk management plan for vulnerable population groups and different sectors including health, food, and air transportation, and regional cooperation for SDS mitigation ([PERSON] et al., 2016). The regional dust problem in Northeast Asia has also prompted formulation of a Regional Master Plan for the Prevention and Control of Dust and Sandstorms in Northeast Asia, a project involving the governments of China, Japan, Mongolia and South Korea ([PERSON] et al., 2016). The plan has two components. Firstly, a phased program to establish a regional monitoring, forecasting and early warning network for SDS in Northeast Asia which has been realized within the WMO SDS-WAS Asia Node, with a regional center hosted by the China Meteorological Administration. The second component is an investment strategy to strengthen mitigation measures and to address root causes of SDS in the regional source areas.