There are more reports of sandstorm in the northern part of our country in recent years. The sandstorm comes from the Mongolian grassland and sweeps into the cities and the countryside in the north. When it comes, there is much wind, and the air is filled with sand and the day may become dark. People can’t walk in the streets and cars can hardly go along the road, because you can not see clearly in the wind and sand. People wear gauze masks and thick scarves covering their faces and heads. It is even difficult for them to breathe.
The most important cause is deforestation. People cut down too many of the trees in the north or in Mongolia. People cut down forests in order to raise crops, or much worse, sell logs to earn money. Trees can protect soil and prevent it from becoming desert. Overgrazing is another cause. Too much cattle grazing on the grassland may bring destruction to the land. When there are no trees and no grass to protect the soil, the soil becomes dry and turns slowly into sand and once a strong wind blows, there appears a sandstorm.