Planting trees is costing China dearly: now it faces a major problem
Reforestation in the Taklamakan is already absorbing more CO2 than it emits. However, the project raises environmental concerns.
The Taklamakan Desert, located in China’s Xinjiang region, was long considered a blank space on the map. It is one of the driest places on Earth. Even during the wet season, it receives only around 0.63 inches of rainfall per month. Yet this nearly lifeless landscape is beginning to transform into a carbon sink.
This shift is the result of the so-called Green Great Wall of China, one of the most ambitious ecological projects ever undertaken. The program aims to halt the advance of sand by planting billions of trees around the Taklamakan and the Gobi Desert.
Scientific studies conclude that the strategy is producing results and that the desert’s outer areas are already capturing more CO2 than they release. The scale of the phenomenon becomes clearer when considering the size of the affected territory.
Roughly 130,000 square miles of dunes, an area comparable to between that of Montana and New Mexico, have been involved. Desertification had advanced rapidly due to urbanization and agricultural expansion, leading to increasingly frequent sandstorms.
A massive reforestation effort
In response, Chinese authorities launched a large-scale planting campaign using hardy species such as poplars. Since the program began, more than 66 billion trees have been planted in northern China.
In 2024, Beijing announced the completion of a roughly 1,860 mile green belt encircling the Taklamakan, helping to increase national forest coverage from 10 percent to more than 25 percent.
Revegetation has also affected the local climate, with summer rainfall doubling and reinforcing a cycle that supports plant growth and higher humidity levels. Some researchers remain skeptical about the green wall’s true effectiveness in preventing sandstorms and warn of potential impacts on groundwater resources and biodiversity.
Get your game on! Whether you’re into NFL touchdowns, NBA buzzer-beaters, world-class soccer goals, or MLB home runs, our app has it all.
Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more – plus, stay updated on the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.