Shiliuyun-Xinjiang Daily (Reporters Cao Hua and Parzat Abdu) news: As the last desert rose sapling was firmly planted in the sandy soil, the crowd on the scene erupted into enthusiastic cheers, "We did it!"

On the morning of November 28, 2024, at 10:37 AM, in the sand control area of Wanhuayuan, Yutian County, Hotan Prefecture, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the final 50-meter-wide and 100-meter-long barren area was planted with saplings, completing the 3,046-kilometer green shelterbelt around the edge of the Taklimakan Desert.

According to satellite-based remote sensing data, the world's longest green ecological barrier around a shifting desert has now emerged in China's Xinjiang, a remarkable feat that is set to have far-reaching implications for environmental protection and desertification control.

"Today, I planted 30 saplings, and I, along with this future flower bed, have witnessed a historic moment in the history of desert control by the Chinese people. I'm so excited!" said 33-year-old Matrozi Mattursun, a villager from Tuogelawusitang Village, Aoyituogelake Township, Yutian County, which is close to the desert.

Seeing his son's excitement, 57-year-old Mattursun Eminniyaz's face lit up with a smile. He had traveled 20 kilometers specially to witness the closure of the barrier. He said, "This green barrier will surely bring good harvests to us in the future."

The Taklimakan Desert, located in southern Xinjiang, is the second largest shifting desert in the world, covering an area of over 337,000 square kilometers with an average annual precipitation of about 50 millimeters, while evaporation exceeds 2,500 millimeters, earning it the nickname "Sea of Death."

"The Taklimakan Desert is at the forefront of China's struggle against sandstorms and ecological degradation," said Liu Yongping, a researcher from the Institute of Afforestation and Sand Control, Xinjiang Academy of Forestry.

He further explained that the desert is a constant battleground for the preservation of the oasis, as it is subjected to the relentless forces of atmospheric circulation. And it is also a major dust source in China, affecting the surrounding environment and ecosystems.

In 1978, China initiated the Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program. Over the past 40 years, with the Three-North program, Xinjiang has cumulatively planted over 70 million mu (about 4.67 million hectares) of trees in areas affected by wind and sand. A 2,761-kilometer-long green shelterbelt has been built on the edge of the Taklimakan Desert, and the remaining 285-kilometer-long barren area is concentrated in the southern part of the desert, which is the region with the most severe wind and sand hazards and the harshest conditions.

"The Hotan-Ruoqiang railway, upon completion, has linked up with the Golmud-Korla railway, Kashi-Hotan railway, and Southern Xinjiang railway, creating the world's first railway loop around a desert. This 285-kilometer stretch, where human presence is growing, urgently needs effective sand control and desertification management," said Chen Yaning, a researcher at the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Starting on November 13, 2023, a dedicated sand prevention and control campaign officially began in Yutian County to encircle the green ecological barrier in the previously barren areas along the edge of the Taklimakan Desert. In more than a year of hard work, they carried out a variety of ecological projects, including biological and photovoltaic sand control, and explored new sand control paths that are tailored to local conditions.

"This is a feat in desertification control and sand prevention that China has achieved, a project hard to conceive and even more challenging to implement in any other country," said Liu, who has conducted in-depth research on the effectiveness of sand control efforts around the world.

He continued, "This green ecological barrier not only functions to shield the ecosystem south of the Tianshan Mountains in Xinjiang, thus generating more favorable production and living circumstances for local residents, but also effectively demonstrates China's advanced scientific and technological might and proficient organizational competence in ecological governance."

Next, Xinjiang will continue to strengthen the foundation of the green ecological barrier around the Taklimakan Desert, expanding its coverage, and aiming to complete the management of 35.1449 million mu (about 2.34 million hectares) of desertified land by 2030.

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