by Yasir Habib Khan

Besides extensive collaborations in energy, infrastructure, industrial and socio-economic spectrum, Pakistan and China have another business avenue to tap. The lucrative window, still unexplored, belongs to sand economy.

China, which has gained mastery in the field of reclaiming lands from deserts through afforestation, has already channelized its own business fortunes by giving robust impetus to sand economy. This ecological industry has not only unleashed monetary gains but also help catalyze jobs especially for rural areas in China.

Pakistan, desperately, needs the sand economy which is also called green economy to usher in era of afforestation to transform ill-fate into lucrative business. Being a home of five deserts including Cholistan desert, Thal desert, Indus Valley Desert, Thar Desert and Kharan desert, Pakistan’s economy may get a booster if the PTI government engages with China to establish ecological industry, .

In 2014, the PTI which governed KP Province between 2014-2018, jumped into the global fray and joined the (Bonn Challenge) – which aims to restore 150 million hectares of the world's degraded and deforested lands by 2020. The government ambitiously pledged to restore 350,000 hectares of forest and degraded land. Project cost 99 million dollar. Still planting saplings as part of the country's 10 Billion Tree Tsunami programme is in process.

Pakistan should take inspiration from the example of China’s success story showcased in Kubuqi desert. The initiative kicked off 32 years ago that turned about 6,000 square kilometers of the desert－one-third of it－green. Located about 800 kilometers to western Beijing in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, game-changing measures have also controlled desertification in the rest of the area.

Elion, a private ecology and investment enterprise, invested approximately RMB 38 billion ($5.82 billion) in the Kubuqi desert-greening project since 1988, helping to lift more than 102,000 local farmers and herdsmen out of poverty.

Under the company's guidance and with the local government's support, the local residents benefit from the "environmental wealth "that is generated by the efforts to combat desertification. For example, the locals grow a drought-tolerant herb, Chinese licorice, which is the most used herb in traditional Chinese medicine. The plant helps enrich the desert soil, with the bacteria around the roots of the plants generating nitrogen, which forms a biological crust above the sand that begins the fertilization process of the desert soil. Cistanche, another type of drought-tolerant herb, was introduced after the successful planting of licorice.

If Pakistani economic wizards exploit the scenario, deserts will transform into fertile land to help grow Chinese herbal plants in great number. By exporting them that are in high demand in China, Pakistani may amplify its exports base in China.

Elion has invented and applied more than 100 environmental technologies to ensure the plants survive the harsh environment, and ensure the ecological restoration is sustainable.

The annual precipitation in Kubuqi has increased four-fold, from less than 100 millimeters to more than 400 millimeters over the past 30 years－thanks to 53 percent plantation coverage－which is a decisive change facilitating ecological sustainability.

In 2015, Chinese company, the Elion Resources Group (ERG), showed eagerness to cooperate with Pakistan in this field, turning Cholistan desert, Thal desert, Indus Valley Desert, Thar Desert and Kharan desert into oasis by implementing ecological system, eco-environment infrastructure and mechanism of technological innovation.

Environmentalist Dr Javed Iqbal said that Pakistan should welcome Elion Resources Group and its investment proposal in deserts of country. ERG has planted the seed of industrialization of desertification control in people’s mind, he adds.

All five deserts in the country will take advantage of green economy which gives birth to natural pharmacy. In terms of anti-sand greening, Elion has been using an “economical” way: to plant liquorice that can well grow in the desert as the major plant for anti-sand greening. Liquorice, as a sand-and-draught medicinal plant, can both prevent sand and serve the medicine industry. It’s a natural pharmaceutical group that possesses complete industrial chains, rarely found in China.

By relying on desert resources, Eco-Green Society official Mehreen Bukhari says, Elion invested over RMB 100 billion (about $17billion USD) to develop desert green energy industry. “Since 2011, the group has introduced the integrative, intensive and clustered development mode of circular economy, strove to develop bio-energy, built up about 2000 square kilometers of carbon sink forests and took in CO2 alga breeding technology from the US to fully carbon-sink absorb the CO2 emitted from the industrial base,” he adds

Kubuqi project generated over 5000 employment opportunities for local peasants and herdsmen, while free professional training has also been provided to make them the new-generation ecological construction workers, tourist service staff and skilled workers of intensive breeding and planting.

The ecological industry in desert has increased the income of natives by over RMB 300 million per year. The per capita net income of herdsmen has increased from RMB 2,000 in the past to RMB 30,000 at present.

All five deserts in Pakistan have been confronting the same worst conditions like once Kabuqi desert in China suffered 32 years ago. Cholistan desert sprawling over 10,200 sq mile is stripped off all civic facilities with scanty water and vegetation.

The Indus Valley desert covers an area of 19,501 square kilometers in northwestern Punjab Province between the Chenab and Indus rivers. The Indus Valley Desert is drier and less hospitable to forest cover. The Kharan Desert is a sandy and mountainous desert situated in Balochistan province in south-western Pakistan. This desert was the site of Pakistan’s second nuclear test, Chagai-II, which was carried out on 30 May 1998.

The Thal desert is spreading between the Jhelum and Sindh rivers near the Pothohar Plateau, covering Bhakkar, Khushab, Mianwali, Layyah, Muzaffargarh as well as Jhang,

Thar Desert spans an area of 175,000 square kilometers. It is the seventh largest desert on the planet and the third largest in Asia.

Agriculturist Dr. Humayun Faisal says that Pakistan governments, in past, launched some projects to increase the prospects of irrigation and cultivation in the Thal desert by unveiling Greater Thal Canal project (phase I and Phase II) costing Rs. 30 billion in 2001 but unfortunately project stands incomplete so far. Under the current fiscal budget, Punjab Provincial Development Working Party again allocated Rs 6261.701 million for Greater Thal Canal Project (GTC) -Phase-II (Chaubara Branch). If Chinese company, the Elion Resources Group (ERG) and Pakistan concerned quarter agree for desert projects, including GTC and others will bring revolutionary changes in the region and uplift the lives of local people who are forced to lead nomadic or semi-nomadic lives with meager avenue of livelihood, education , health and other civic facilities, he hopes.

Like other parts of world, Pakistan is also suffering desertification that is damaging its agriculture cover. Mound of sand in the desert belt of Balochistan often keep flying and landing on fruit orchards in Quetta valley, particularly. Due to depleting forests, sand dunes deposit on the canopy of orchards which in turn leads to resurgence of mitepest on twit orchards requiring several sprays of miticides for its control creating unnecessary burden on the economy of the fruit orchard owners. Desertification is one of the most threatening ecological environment issues directly affecting people’s survival and development. So far, 65% of world land has been facing desertification in varying degrees and desertification is expanding at an annual rate of 50,000-70,000 square kilometers, which inflicts a dozen billion people with poverty and starvation.

Yasir Habib Khan is Special Correspondent of China Economic Net. He is also president and founder of Institute of International Relations and Media Research (IIRMR).