No one could have predicted the seldom-seen blizzards that, starting from mid-January, swept through southern China. Temperatures there in January usually averaged above zero, and only occasionally dip below.

Yet, in defiance of the usual cases, snowstorms roared through this part of the country, destroying simply constructed factory buildings, knocking out power lines, and bringing down branches from numerous trees.

Endowed with rich forest resources, the forestry industry in the south is one of the country's most vibrant. This is also a reason why the storm became such a catastrophe--nearly 18.6 million hectares of forests, or around 10 percent of the national total, were damaged.

According to Xiao Xingwei, head of the Department of Forest Resources under the State Forestry Administration, it will take a decade or more to restore the damaged forests to their prior state.

Rough estimates from the State Forestry Administration put direct economic losses from the blizzard at 57.3 billion yuan ($8.1 billion).

"The nightmare for China's forests has not come to an end," said Xiao. "In response, forestry departments across the country have waged a rescuing drive to rehabilitate the forests and minimize losses."

Future impact

Zhu Lieke, Deputy Director of the State Forest Administration, is deeply aware of the haplessness that victims of the blizzard in the coastal Fujian Province were presented with, when the storms swept through the region.

"The raging blizzard brought havoc to cities and rural villages, leaving collapsed bamboo and trees everywhere."

Zhu personally talked to a foresting family who sat around a hot stove under a leaky roof. The host told Zhu, "I can still deal with the leaking roof. But the loss of the bamboo groves has cut off our lifeblood for the next two or three years."

Zhu confessed to being distressed by these words. In the disaster-stricken areas, the farmers derive over 50 percent of their income from forestry. As a result, their income in 2008 will be severely constrained, and they will have to bear the brunt through the next three to five years.

Zhu and his colleagues pledged new initiatives to aid the farmers, including distributing interest subsidies for credit to help them recover their forestry production.

According to Zhu, the blizzard has posed not only a headache for the livelihood of the people, but also a thorny problem for the ecology of disaster-stricken areas.

By the end of 2007, China had reported a forest coverage rate of over 18 percent. But this figure may be shrinking because of the snowstorms, which damaged many areas reforested between 2004 and 2006. Among these were many important ecological areas, such as forests and natural reserves turned from farmland. The widespread devastation from the storms not only hurts China's ecology, but also makes it more difficult for the country to reach its goal of a 20-percent forest coverage rate by 2010.

Large areas of economically important forests were frozen to death, straining supplies for forestry products such as wood, bamboo, pine oleoresin and oleum camelliae--especially the already tight wood supplies.

"The suspension of production of some forestry enterprises will obviously affect the employment of millions and constrain supplies of forestry products over the next few years," noted Zhu.

Xiao said that 370 million cubic meters of forest reserves, or 3 percent of the national total, had been damaged and that nearly 3 billion bamboo trees, or 47 percent of the national total, were destroyed.

It may take three to 12 months for some crops to recuperate, but for forests, which have long growth cycles, as much as three to five years could be needed. Damages to forestry resources and prospected decline in incomes from agriculture and forestry will reduce the fiscal revenue of affected townships and counties, further hampering their overall development.

Secondary disaster fears

Zhu cited the prevention of secondary disasters as a focus of the current rescue campaign, because the blizzard has left behind many hidden dangers.

Invisible troubles could first come from snow-melting agents made from corrosive industrial salt. These agents were heavily used on highways and expressways as part of the effort to clear away the snow and ensure flows of traffic and power supplies. If inappropriately disposed of, the industrial salts will be washed away with the melted snow, possibly triggering the salinization of the soil and the contamination of underground water resources. Worse still, the salts may kill trees along the roadsides and put people's health in danger.

On February 20, the State Forestry Administration appealed for timely disposal of the snow-melting agents with a view to guarding against secondary disasters and possible impact to the environment.

During the disaster relief work, snow was piled up under trees or along roads. Recently, the State Forestry Administration has ordered the removal of snow piles that have yet to melt. Trees exposed to pollutants in the melting snow should be heavily watered to dilute the salt content of the soil around their roots, so that the trees can healthily grow.

Another secondary disaster fear is the possibility of fires. Zhu said that since the blizzards brought down many trees and dispersed litters everywhere, the way had been paved for forest fires.

Experience has taught us that snowstorms are usually followed by droughts. The risk of forest fires may escalate due to dry weather, the accumulation of combustible materials and frequent activities of people in forest areas.

By February 19, Jiangxi Province had already recorded 17 forest fire outbreaks since the break of the snowstorm.

Replanting efforts

March 12, China's Arbor Day, heralds the inception of the spring reforestation campaign. This could be a major remedy for the forestry recovery efforts in southern China.

On February 1, the State Forestry Administration distributed its afforestation program for 2008 to forestry departments across the country, with the goal of reforesting 5.2 million hectares of land and planting 2.04 billion trees by individuals.

"Our forestry infrastructure has been torpedoed, adding difficulties to the complementary planting and rehabilitation work," added Zhu.

On February 25, the State Forestry Administration pressed for more active measures to cushion the blow dealt by the snowstorms and accelerate the pace of forest recovery.

At present, efforts have been made to restore plant nurseries injured by the weather and resume the production of nursery stock.

While committed to spring reforestation, disaster-hit areas have already geared themselves up for more planting in the summer and fall.

"The snowstorm is not devoid of merit," said Cao Qingyao, a spokesman for the State Forestry Administration. "At least it inspires those disaster-hit areas to explore scientific and rational construction models and management methods of forestry. Innovative frameworks and programs for the reforestation work are also compelled to address past problems.

"More favorable policies will be implemented to mobilize the forestry farmers to plant, cultivate and protect the forests, and this is expected to breathe life into the reforestation campaign," said Cao.

"Despite much difficulty, we remain faithful to meeting the target of a forest coverage rate of 20 percent by 2010," added Zhu. "Production and investment programs will be adjusted in tune with the post-disaster situation."