Comparative study of the implementation of environmental policies to combat desertification in Kuwait and the Hotan Region of China

Abstract

Desertification is one of the most pressing environmental issues in the world today. The environmental problem of desertification can be remedied through better environmental management and policy—these methods are taken to be the most effective ways of combating desertification. This study comparatively analyzes the implementation of environmental policies designed to combat desertification in Kuwait and the region of Hotan in China. The natural causes of desertification in the two regions are largely the same; therefore, the comparison focuses on policies to control the human factors that cause the problem. The comparisons show that desertification policies in Kuwait and Hotan differ in five ways: the role of local government, laws and regulations, timeliness, public participation, and government funding for forestry. This study aims to share China’s “top-down” model for implementing the environmental policies designed to combat desertification. Results demonstrate that the Chinese “top-down” model might be applied in Kuwait to combat desertification and improve environmental management. Although both Kuwait and Hotan are different in the political and economic system, both of them suffered from desertification, and desertification combating as a part of national action. The proposed assumptions provide a global strategy and a comprehensive project on combating desertification. Kuwait and China should thus enhance their collaboration and communication and make a joint effort to combat desertification via environmental policy management.