China completes 3,046-Kilometer green belt around Taklimakan Desert showcasing China’s continuous efforts towards green transitioning.
The Taklimakan Desert, also known as the “Sea of Death,” has been fully encircled by a 3,046-kilometer sand-blocking green belt, according to local authorities in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
Satellite images reveal that this green ecological barrier is the longest of its kind in the world, surrounding a desert, as reported by the Xinjiang Daily.
During the completion process, various plant species such as Populus euphratica (desert poplar), sacsaoul, and red willow were planted on sandy land in Yutian county, marking the completion of the final stretch of the green belt, according to Xinjiang’s forestry and grassland bureau.
Covering 337,600 square kilometers, the Taklimakan is China’s largest desert and the second-largest drifting desert globally, with a 3,046-kilometer perimeter.
The desert receives only about 50 millimeters of rainfall annually, while evaporation rates exceed 2,500 millimeters, according to the Xinjiang Daily.
There are three major following challenges to this effort.
- The first challenge is the sheer size of the desert, which occupies 76% of Xinjiang’s desert area and nearly half of the nation’s desert area. Its mobile sand dunes span about 258,400 square kilometers, with dunes reaching heights of up to 300 meters.
- The second challenge is the region’s dry climate and limited precipitation, making reforestation difficult.
- The third challenge is the frequent dust storms caused by shifting sands.
Liu Yongping, a researcher at the Institute of Afforestation and Sand Control at the Xinjiang Academy of Forestry, noted that the Taklimakan is China’s most sandstorm-prone area. These sandstorms pose a significant threat to oases and contribute to dust pollution across China, Liu added, according to the Xinjiang Daily.
Liu described the green barrier as a “new miracle” in China’s desertification control efforts, one that would be unimaginable in other countries. He explained that the project safeguards the ecosystem of southern Tianshan Mountain in Xinjiang, benefiting local residents and showcasing China’s capabilities in ecological governance.
A 57-year-old local resident traveled 20 kilometers to witness the completion, expressing hope that the green barrier would bring future benefits to his family, as reported by Xinjiang Daily.
Following the completion, Xinjiang plans to continue strengthening and expanding the green belt, with a goal to restore 2.34 million hectares of desertified land by 2030, the report stated.
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