Shi Guangyin, a Hero in the Fight Against Desertification1治沙英雄石光银

修文乔

Shi Guangyin is an eco-warrior who has been battling desertification for close to 40 years. The farmer found his calling to green the barren landscape at a young age and in the process change the lives of people living there. “Combatting desertification is my sole career. My fight continues as long as my life continues. I shall not stop planting trees or combatting desertification until my last breath，” vows Shi.

Affliction by the sand

Shi was born in a township named Haiziliang on the southern edge of the Mu Us Desert in Dingbian County， northwest Chinas Shaanxi Province in February 1952. The local climate is tough， and so is life for the locals. Growing up in such an environment， Shi knows only too well how much pain and harm the encroaching sand can cause. He remembers how sandstorms used to terrorize the villagers and make their lives a misery. Sandstorms could also easily destroy all the crops the villagers had grown， and the invasive flow of sand dunes could swallow peoples houses.

In 1984， the government issued new policies to encourage individuals to plant trees in contracted sand lands and barren hills， hoping to rehabilitate the environment. Despite the objections of his family， Shi resigned from his leadership position at a state-owned farm and began his fight against desertification. Accompanied by his wife and children， he headed for the sand lands and contracted about 200 hectares of land where he founded Xinxing Ranch and Forest Farm （now Shaanxi Shiguangyin Sand Control Group）， Chinas first rural joint-stock limited corporation， dedicated to combatting desertification.

When he started out， Shi lacked both extra hands and funds. He spent all he had to purchase saplings. But it was still not enough. As a result， he sold the 84 sheep and one mule， on which the livelihood of his family depended. His other six companions also sold their livestock. Yet the amount was still not enough. In desperation， Shi went from household to household to borrow more money. Finally， he managed to raise RMB 120，000 to buy saplings， beginning his life as a green warrior.

What followed was tireless work by Shi and his team， planting several species of drought-enduring trees over the 200 hectares of sand. Although encouraged by a grand vision and firm determination， they faced hardships far greater than expected. “Living conditions back then were harsh. We all lived in the desert and had no food other than the hard， tasteless dried naan bread. Sometimes there were sandstorms and quite often someone would get blown away， so we had to pause our work and go search for him，” said Shi.

Yet they did have some luck on their side. After one year of hard work， with favorable weather and enough rainfall， 85 percent of the trees survived. Their first battle was won. The whole team was greatly encouraged and Shis faith in going forward was strengthened.

The one who perseveres prevails

The following year， Shi contracted another 3，867 hectares of land from the state-owned Changmaotan Forest Farm.

There were thousands of sand dunes， large and small， in the newly contracted land. Among them， the most difficult part was Langwosha.

Langwosha is an area of about 400 hectares where strong winds prevail all year round. Shi and his team had to live there for weeks on end， suffering from blowing gales， scorching sun， and sizzling sand. They lived in basic plastic tents， ate dry corn flour bread and drank muddy water from sand pits they dug to serve as wells. Added to that， the team had to carry in the saplings， on their backs.

After the success of the first year， their luck departed. Strong winds destroyed 90 percent of the saplings they had planted. In the spring of 1987， Shi and his team tried and failed again， when 80 percent of the saplings were uprooted by sandstorms. Yet Shi still held on to his faith. The failures reminded him to reflect. Before long he realized besides hard work， scientific research was also important. The team then set out to learn from successful cases and consult professionals in forest plantations and experts in plantation techniques.

In the spring of 1988， Shi challenged Langwosha the third time. This time he was equipped with a newly acquired technique. This technique enabled more than 80 percent of the planted saplings to survive.

After Shis third attempt at Langwosha， progress speeded up. In 1994 he contracted and rehabilitated 3，000 hectares of salt marsh， and 3，033 hectares of sand land in 1997. By the end of 2004， the 16，667 hectares of sand land and salt marsh contracted by Shi was fully and effectively rehabilitated. Moreover， he had accomplished a total afforestation area of 23，334 hectares. The achievement involved more than one million peoples work with tens of millions of yuan invested.

Fighting both sand and poverty

In his effort to combat desertification， Shi realized that controlling the sand goes hand in hand with fighting poverty. From 1997 on， he persuaded the poorest 50 households （272 people） who lived in the Baiyu Mountains to move outside the mountains and settle in the newly built village of Shilisha， in Dingbian Town， Dingbian City. He was inspired to do this by Chinas eco-migration policy. Gradually the new settlers started their new lives on the soil that used to be “an ocean of sand.” After several years of experiment and exploration， Shi and his team established an innovative business model and mobilized the villagers to develop an economy based on forestation and livestock breeding. Local peoples life has changed dramatically. This in turn boosted the villagers willingness to volunteer in combatting desertification.

He has been honored with multiple awards and invited to conferences of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification （UNCCD） to share his experience. In the view of Shi， combatting desertification is demanding and formidable： only those who persevere prevail.

石光银是一位生态斗士，他与荒漠化斗争了将近40年。自青年时代，他就肩负起在荒地植树造林的使命，在这一过程中改变了当地人们的生活。“治沙是我唯一的事业，只要一天不死，我就要栽一天树，把治沙进行下去。”这是石光银立下的誓言。

饱受风沙之害

1952年2月，石光银出生在陕西省西北部毛乌素沙漠南缘定边县海子梁乡。当地气候恶劣、生活艰苦。自幼生活在这样的环境中，石光银深知肆虐的风沙给村民带来多少痛苦和灾难。他记得沙尘暴曾让村民谈之色变，给他们带来悲惨的生活。沙尘暴还可能轻易摧毁村民种植的所有庄稼，流动的沙丘四处侵袭，可能吞没村民的房屋。

为了改善生态环境，1984年政府颁布新政策，鼓励个人承包沙地、荒山，植树造林。石光银不顾家人反对，辞去国有农场的场长职务，开始治沙。在妻儿的陪伴下，他奔向沙地，承包了3000亩，成立了中国第一个农民股份制治沙有限公司——“新兴林牧场”（即现在的陕西石光银治沙集团）。

创业初期，石光银既缺人手又缺资金。他花光所有积蓄购买树苗，但资金还是不足。为此他卖掉全家赖以维持生计的84只羊和1头骡子，6个创业伙伴也都变卖了各自的家畜，但树苗款还是不够。万般无奈之下，石光银只能挨家挨户借钱，最终筹集资金12万元购买树苗，开启了他作为绿色斗士的人生。

接下来石光银和他的团队不知疲倦地工作，在3000亩沙地上种植若干种耐旱的树苗。虽然他们有远大理想和坚定信念的支撑，但遇到的困难还是超乎想象。石光银说：“那时候，生活条件很差，所有人都住在荒漠里，吃的是从家里带来的硬到啃不动的干饼子。治沙的时候，我们还会遇上沙尘暴，有时风暴把人刮跑了，我们就得赶紧停下来去找人。”

所幸他们有运气加持。经过一年的艰辛劳作，加上天气好、雨量足，树苗存活率达85%。首战告捷，整个团队深受鼓舞，石光银前进的信念更加坚定。

有志者事竟成

第二年石光银与国有长茂滩林场签订合同，承包了约5.8万亩荒地。

在新承包的荒地中，大大小小的沙丘有上千座，其中难度最大的要数狼窝沙。

狼窝沙占地约6000亩，长年大风呼啸。石光银和他的团队在这里一住就是几十天，忍受风吹、日晒、沙烤之苦。他们住的是用塑料布搭起的简易小棚子，吃的是干玉米馍，喝的是沙坑里出来的沙糊糊。他们还要将树苗背进狼窝沙。

这次他们没有上一年那样好运，栽种的树苗90%都被大风吹毁。1987年春，80%的树苗被沙尘暴连根拔起，石光银和团队的努力再次付诸东流。但石光银仍然坚守信念。几次失败促使他进行反思。石光银很快意识到，除了埋头苦干，还要讲求科学方法。于是他们团队开始學习成功经验，请教造林专业人员和种植技术专家。

1988年春天，石光银第三次挑战狼窝沙。这次他带着新学的种植技术，使得树苗成活率达80%以上。

第三次奋战狼窝沙之后，石光银加快了治沙脚步。1994年和1997年，他分别承包并治理改善4.5万亩盐碱滩和4.55万亩沙地。到2004年年底，石光银承包的25万亩沙地和盐碱滩全部得到了有效的治理。此外，他完成的造林面积总计35万亩，参与造林工程的人数超过100万，投资总额高达数千万元。

要治沙也要治穷

在防治荒漠化过程中，石光银意识到，治沙与脱贫密切相关。受政府“生态移民”政策启发，他从1997年起说服白于山区最贫困的50户家庭（计272人）搬出大山，迁到定边县定边镇新建的十里沙村。新住户逐渐在这片曾经的“沙海”中开始新生活。经过几年的实验和摸索，石光银和他的团队建立了崭新的经营模式，动员村民发展以造林和畜牧为基础的经济。当地人民生活得到极大改善，大家自愿治沙的积极性也因此提高。

石光银被授予多项荣誉称号，并多次受邀参加《联合国防治荒漠化公约》大会，分享治沙经验。在他看来，防治荒漠化劳心费力、困难重重：只有坚持不懈才能取得胜利。

[译者单位：中国石油大学（北京）]