Strong sandstorms have affected more than 200 million residents in a vast area of 1.61 million square kilometres in the past couple of days in North China.

The yellow sand dust that has blanketed Beijing alone is about 20 grams per square metre or more than 300,000 tons in total.

The natural disaster has already hit the capital and the rest of the northern and northwestern part of the country 10 times this spring, compared with seven times during the 1960s and 22 times during the 1990s.

It is undeniable that sandstorms have become an increasingly serious natural calamity that poses a threat to the normal life of residents in the northern part of China. Statistics indicate that the number of patients seeing doctors for respiratory diseases have dramatically increased in Beijing.

What we urgently need is a contingency plan to deal with sandstorms  from timely forecasting of their coming to mapping out preventative measures against the possible damage they may cause to people's health, to traffic and the environment.

Meteorological institutions might strengthen their monitoring capabilities to make timely and accurate forecasts; they could co-operate with telecommunications departments to send messages to residents' mobile phones in advance so they may take precautions accordingly.

For instance, Beijing's traffic department early this year co-operated with telecommunications companies to send messages to residents' mobile phones when a section of road caved in, successfully reducing traffic congestion.

Health experts could warn residents and tell them what to do to reduce the risk of contracting respiratory diseases during such abnormal weather conditions.

There are many things in different areas that we can do to reduce the possible damage sandstorms may cause to our lives.

Sandstorms are closely related to the desert; desertification is the very cause and source of sandstorms  although a lack of rainfall and frequent cold currents could cause strong winds to blow up the desert and sweep it to as far as the wind can reach.

A report released on Monday on the study of desertification has revealed that the direct economic losses caused by desertification were estimated at 470 billion yuan (US$59 billion) annually  in last couple of years.

The booming agricultural sector in the northwestern part of China, where rainfall is lower than other parts of the country and ecological conditions are fragile, is said to be one of the causes for desertification in that area.

From a long-term perspective, scientific research efforts should be made on the prevention of desertification in the vast northwestern and western regions.

The more efforts we put into the fight against desertification, the less precautions we need to take against the harm sandstorms bring. But it will take a long time before we can stop the invasion of the desert and even turn the desert into fertile land.

Let us work on the two fronts at the same time.