who traveled in groups and raised goats, cattle, camels, horses, and sheep. The animals provided
them with meat, milk, transportation and wool. In the 12th century, Gobi became a part of the
great Mongol Empire, and in the 13th century, its trails conducted the forces of Genghis Khan
southward, into China. These Gobi ancient people traded with people around them for grain, rice,
tea, silk and other items. Its desert surface hosted part of the fabled Silk Road, a 4,000-mile long
braid work trade routes that connected Asia and Europe for three millennia. Moreover, the Gobi’s
ancient city of Karakorum became a center for Buddhist monasteries such as Erdene Zuu, which
was built when the religion made its way into Mongolia during the 16th century.
Gobi Desert Nowadays
At present, the people of the Gobi Desert are mainly Khalkha Mongols, Uighars and Kazakhs
who live in family groups. At the edges of the Gobi, in the Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region
of the peoples Republic of China, Han Chinese makes up the majority of the population. They are
mostly farmers. There are a few small towns in the Gobi Desert, such as those along the Beijing-
Ulaanbaatar railroad. Motorized vehicles become popular, but still cannot replace the traditional
forms of transportation. The Khalkha people still use the camels as their transportation. There are
also administration centers, which provide special services like the children’s boarding schools for
nomadic and semi-nomadic people so that their kids are not disrupted by the nomadic lifestyle of
their parents. Some hospitals, post offices and a few hours electricity per day scheme are provided
by the administration centers. Other natural resources in the Gobi desert include oil, salt, coal,
petroleum, copper, and other ores.
Gobi Desert at Risk
Gobi Desert is at risk today since all of the Gobi’s eco-regions have been affected negatively
by the actions of humans. The unique plants and animals in Gobi desert are constantly under
the threat from irrigation agriculture, industry, overgrazing, mining and other activities.
Desertification is a major problem in the Gobi Desert. Since 1994, the Gobi Desert in China has
expanded by about 25,000 square miles (64,750 sq km) and its sand storms are slowly encroaching
on the capital city of Beijing.
Conservation
Governments, scientists and environmental organizations are working hard to conserve and
protect the Gobi Desert and they also spend a lot of time to study and understand the delicate
balance of life in the Gobi Desert. The most recent plan involves the planting of the Green Wall
of China in order to stabilize the soil and act as a barrier against the desertification. Laws have
been passed to protect desert species, and certain areas of Gobi have been set as parks and nature
reserves including Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park, Great Gobi A and Great Gobi B strictly
Protected Area. As the scientists and the environmentalists pay a lot of effort on learning more
about the environment in the desert, we can also do our part by not polluting the beautiful cities
along the Gobi.
