Dr. Seiei Toyama: Father of the Desert, Messenger of Human Peace, Part 2 of 2

Dr. Seiei Toyama studied the desert throughout his life and mastered the technology of greening desert. Led by Dr. Toyama, volunteers from Japan, China, and all over the world worked together for more than 10 years. Finally, the 20,000-hectare Engebei area, which was once almost uninhabited, became restored to a vibrant area with 70 percent vegetation coverage. Thus, desertification has been effectively controlled. This led to the development of agriculture in the desert area and has promoted tourism here. It was selected as the National Eco-tourism Demonstration Zone in 2016. Dr. Seiei Toyama passed away on February 27, 2004, at the age of 97. Dr. Toyama often said, “Green represents life; green is the road to peace.” His deep concern and hope for the ecological beautification of nature and a peaceful human society was reflected in his life’s work. Dr. Seiei Toyama resolved to revitalize deserts in China and his native country of Japan, and in so doing, he became a here protecting the planet’s ecology and a well-deserved envoy for human peace. In 2003, he received the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Peace and International Understanding.