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40th Earth Day warns dire situation of natural resources

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The report says China has a rich reserve of minerals. But the country also has a poor per capita average of minerals, amounting to less than 60 percent of the global average. And the ministry warns there may be difficulty in ensuring the supply of major mineral production after 2010.

Land resources are also rich in total, but limited on a per capita average basis. Fertile land is scarce, with limited land available for sustainable development. Out of the country's 200 million hectares of land reserves, only 60 percent can be cultivated.

Meanwhile, the average area for forests in China is just one sixth of the world average. And average forestry reserves are only an eighth of the world average. Area with forest coverage stands at just 14 percent that's half the world average.

And geographic distribution of fresh water is highly unbalanced. Water resources in Southern China are much more prevalent compared with northern areas of the country.

 

Editor:Liu Anqi

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