Enviro News Asia, Jakarta — China’s efforts to green its deserts are beginning to show results. The vast brown sands that once stretched across the 337,000-square-kilometer Taklamakan Desert—three times the size of Java—are now turning green in some areas. Grass and trees have started to flourish.
China’s success in preventing desert expansion, or desertification, and carrying out reforestation was also highlighted at the China Pavilion during COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, from November 11-22, 2024. The discussion was engaging and attracted enthusiastic attention from participants.
During the discussion, it was revealed that China began its desert greening efforts in 1978, long before “climate change” became a global issue. This initiative is crucial in preventing the worsening desertification across China.
China has several deserts, with the largest being the 1.3-million-square-kilometer Gobi Desert and the 337,000-square-kilometer Taklamakan Desert. Each desert has unique characteristics distinct from others. The Taklamakan Desert, located in the Uighur region of Xinjiang, China, is known for its shifting sands, which frequently cause sandstorms. This desert also experiences extremely low rainfall and features sand dunes ranging from 18 to 91 meters in height.
To combat desertification, the Chinese government launched the Great Green Wall Project, aimed at halting desert expansion, particularly in northern, northwestern, and northeastern China. This project involves several phases of desert greening and aims to plant 100 billion trees by 2050.
However, achieving this goal has proven more challenging than anticipated. The primary obstacle is the constantly shifting sand, which causes newly planted vegetation to be swept away by the wind. After extensive research, including learning from local wisdom, the initial phase involved embedding dry grass barriers in the sand to prevent movement. Once the sand stabilized, various native tree species were planted. Additionally, a drip irrigation system and rainwater harvesting techniques were implemented to conserve water. In early-stage lands where only grass had begun to grow, solar power plants were built, taking advantage of the abundant sunlight in the desert.
Thanks to decades of hard work, more than 66 million hectares of land had been restored from desertification by 2020. The area affected by desertification in China has gradually decreased, from 10,400 square kilometers per year in the 1980s to just around 2,400 square kilometers per year in the 2010s.
According to researcher Yuanqing Wang in the Science Direct journal (Vol. 137, April 2022), desertification control efforts have significantly reduced sandstorms that once frequently hit Beijing and other northern Chinese cities. Encouragingly, as green areas expand, previously unproductive land is now being used for agriculture. The local economy has also improved, as many residents have found employment in the greening projects.
Moreover, the formation of artificial forests has led to an increase in wildlife populations, including birds and insects. These forests have also improved air quality and helped absorb carbon dioxide, contributing to climate change mitigation. China’s four-decade-long commitment to greening its deserts has not been in vain. The results are visible to all and have had positive environmental, economic, and social impacts.
