A 3,046-km green belt in Xinjiang’s Taklimakan Desert stabilizes sand, boosts agriculture, and improves lives.

Southern Xinjiang’s Taklimakan Desert is being transformed through a large-scale ecological project, with a 3,046-kilometer green belt completed in November 2024 stabilizing sand and enabling agriculture. In Xayar County, over 280,000 mu of sand-fixing vegetation, including 200,000 mu of Cistanche deserticola, produce more than 10,000 tonnes annually. Villages in Bachu and Zepu counties use straw barriers and desert-adapted crops like dates, watermelons, and dwarf apples—achieving a 98% survival rate and projected 10,000-tonne apple harvest in 2025. These efforts combat desertification, boost local incomes, and improve living conditions, turning once-barren land into thriving economic zones.