Forestry scientists and officials in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region are building a "Green Great Wall" as part of the country's efforts to combat desertification.
Monday marks the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, and the pressing challenges of land degradation and desertification are once again gaining global attention.
China, which is among the countries facing the severest desertification, has made huge progress in curbing the expansion of deserts after decades of relentless efforts.
This is no mean feat especially in the country's northwestern region where rain is a relatively rare phenomenon.
Researchers in Yinchuan City, capital of Ningxia, say that after long-term trials they have found the most suitable plant species, namely the Prunus mongolica, to help their efforts to stop desertification in the region. The city is now home to a pilot zone, equipped with a sapling garden and a breeding center for the species.
However, this only captures part of Ningxia's efforts to combat desertification. The region also takes active part in the Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program, a decades-old environmental campaign, which started in the late 1970s and is expected to last until 2050.
Under this program, China plans to plant billions of trees to build a “Green Great Wall" through the northwest, north and northeast regions to prevent desertification.
So far, 53 percent of desertified land in the country has been restored. As the program continues, China is expected to see more degraded land being restored.
"Since the inception of the Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program, Ningxia's forest coverage rate has increased from 2.4 percent in 1978 to 11.35 percent, reducing the amount of sediment discharged into the Yellow River by 40 million tonnes," said Xu Zhong, deputy director with the Ningxia Forestry and Grassland Administration.
Apart from Ningxia, Xinjiang is also at the forefront of the program.
The region is home to China's biggest desert, the Taklimakan. To stop the southward expansion of the desert, people in surrounding areas are building a green belt around the sea of sand stretching over 2,700 kilometers. Efforts are still underway to fill in the last gap of 285 kilometers.
"We first insert reeds 15 centimeters into the ground to stabilize sand. In about three to four days, we plant tamarisk and saxaul saplings inside the reeds square. The reed squares will be intact even after ten years," said a forestry worker.
According to local forestry officials, using different methods to enhance the diversity, stability and sustainability of the desert ecosystem and protect the vegetation around the desert is still the focus of this year's work.
"Green Great Wall" combats desertification in northern China
