In November 2024, China completed the creation of an impressive green belt of 3,046 kilometers on the edge of the Taklamakan Desert in Xinjiang.
This project aims to combat desertification, protect infrastructures such as roads and oases, and mitigate the sandstorms that occur every spring.
This initiative is part of the Three-North Shelterbelt program, known as the “Great Green Wall“, initiated in 1978 with a timeline extending to 2050, in a country where 26.8% of its territory is desert.
This green belt is not just an image of reforestation on a large scale. A study published in 2026 indicates that the restored vegetation has generated a measurable impact on the air, with a seasonal reduction of CO₂ by 3 parts per million. Although small on a global scale, this change is verifiable.
The project reached its goal with the planting of the last 100 meters on November 28, 2024, surrounding a vast desert of 337,600 km², comparable to Finland and one of the largest mobile dune deserts in the world.
The conception of the “green belt” is not limited to a continuous forest. In the most challenging areas, varied techniques have been implemented, from engineering barriers and resilient species to solar panels that generate electricity and reduce wind erosion.
Sand storms are not just an aesthetic problem; they can ruin crops, damage infrastructures, and turn roads into traps, especially in regions where water is scarce.
Therefore, the project focuses on vulnerable areas, such as oases, roads, and productive zones. China plans to reinforce these desert edges with poplar restoration and new vegetation networks to protect agricultural lands.
According to a team of researchers, the edge of the Taklamakan shows a clear seasonal dynamic. During the wet season, from July to September, precipitation rises to 16.3 mm per month, improving vegetation cover and photosynthesis.
This increase in biological activity coincides with a decrease in atmospheric CO₂ of about 3 ppm compared to the dry season. These data were corroborated through satellite and surface measurements.
Despite the advances, the researchers warn that even if the entire Taklamakan were to be greened, the global impact would remain limited. It would only equate to offsetting around 10% of Canada’s annual CO₂ emissions.
The green belt
It should not be forgotten that in ecology there are rarely unique causes. A cited analysis suggests that the planting explains a small part of the increase in vegetation, as precipitation and land use also play a role.
The survival of the plants is a challenge, with criticisms about low rates and doubts about their ability to reduce sandstorms in distant places like Beijing.
The future of the belt depends on water. The shrubs survive thanks to runoff from the surrounding mountains, but expansion requires reliable water sources, a resource disputed globally.
The success of the project is measured not only in kilometers planted but in its resilience. The key is whether these plantations will withstand increasingly extreme summers without depleting aquifers or damaging rivers.
This green belt is an effective local solution against desertification and, although its global climatic impact is modest, it demonstrates that even in hostile landscapes, it is possible to create carbon sinks if properly planned. The study on this carbon footprint was published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
