China surrounds Xinjiang's vast Taklamakan Desert with green belt to help environment and economy

China’s largest desert, and the world’s second largest sand desert, is now surrounded by a green belt of diverse trees and shrubs, as well as energy-based sand-blocking technology solar.

The encirclement of the Taklamakan Desert, northwest China Xinjiang The Uighur Autonomous Region – an area the size of Germany – is intended to prevent sandstorms and protect local infrastructure, as well as boost regional economic opportunities.

The green belt – which stretches 3,050 km (1,900 miles) – was completed on Thursday after the last batch of several vegetation types was planted in Yutian County, on the southern edge of the desert, according to the state media.

Shifting deserts like the Taklamakan are dominated by wind-driven sand dunes and frequent sandstorms, which can affect weather, agriculture and human health.

The wall of trees around the Taklamakan Desert is equipped with water-saving irrigation systems. Photo: Xinhua

About 85 percent of the desert’s 337,600 km² is covered in shifting sand dunes, earning the Taklamakan the nickname “the sea of death.”