China’s largest desert to be encircled with green belt by year-end

URUMQI, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) — China is to give a final touch on the construction of a green belt that will encircle the country’s largest desert, the Taklimakan, upon its completion by the end of this year, the forestry and grassland authority in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region said on Tuesday.
The green belt around the Taklimakan Desert was 2,761 km long before the end of last year. Tuhti Rahman, director of Xinjiang’s forestry and grassland bureau, said the final stretch of approximately 285 km is expected to be finished before the end of this year to totally encircle the desert, which is 337,600 square kilometers.
Speaking at a video conference, Tuhti Rahman said the final stretch is the most difficult to work on, as the area suffered the most severe wind and sand hazards in southern Xinjiang.
The Taklimakan Desert control project is a part of China’s Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program, known as the world’s largest afforestation program to tackle desertification in northwest, north and northeast China. The program was launched in 1978 and scheduled to be completed by 2050. ■