A Chinese researcher in NIES - Tsukuba
Gao Yong

I am very pleased to have the opportunity to be living in Japan and working with Dr. Shimizu and Dr. Tobe on desertification issues. I am from Inner Mongolia of China. Inner Mongolia is located in northern China, including huge forestry, grassland, and desert.

I graduated from Inner Mongolia Agriculture University in 1984. Since then, I have been working in the department of desert control, Inner Mongolia Agriculture University. My position now in my university is professor. I have been involved in the topics of desert and desertification for a long time. Recently environmental problems, such as air and water pollution and desertification, are becoming serious. There are many deserts in China and research on the desertification is my duty and interest.

My motives for applying for EFF program are searching for the technical to stop the process of desertification. Research theme is International Study on Monitoring and Assessment of Desertification in China. Desertification is land degradation in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas resulting from various factors, including climate variations and human activities. Desertification/land degradation now affects almost 30% of the total land area of the world and 850 million people, one-sixth of the world's population. Actual desertification is becoming an international environmental problem facing the human being. To combat desertification effectively, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification was entered into force on December 26, 1996.The objectives of this study are: review of literature and activities related to combat desertification; development of desertification data bases relating to natural and social condition; formulating various desertification monitoring and assessment indicators; development of methods for monitoring and assessment of desertification; mapping of desertification progress in relation to natural and social factors; analysis of interrelation between desertification progress and natural and social factors.

My first impression to Japan is that all the country looks like a big garden. During my several months staying in Tsukuba, I am really enjoying the clear sky, the green space, and the bike paths.