China has achieved a significant milestone in its fight against desertification by completing a vast barrier belt along the southeastern edge of the Tengger Desert in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. The project aims to halt the eastward expansion of the country’s fourth-largest desert.
In the village of Changliushui, workers installed the final row of straw checkerboards—a traditional sand-fixing method—effectively locking in the shifting dunes. This marks the culmination of a sand control project that has spanned more than six decades.
The straw checkerboard technique involves planting straw in a grid pattern on the desert surface to stabilize the sand and prevent wind erosion. The newly completed barrier stretches 153 kilometers in length and ranges from 10 to 38 kilometers in width, forming a natural defense against desert encroachment.
“The barrier belt can help prevent the desert from further encroaching on farmland, towns, oases, and roads, and significantly reduce the source of sandstorms,” said Lu Qi, chief scientist at the Chinese Academy of Forestry. “It serves as a critical ecological buffer.”
Zhongwei, the city where the project is based, is strategically located between the Qilian and Helan mountains and is the only gateway for the Tengger Desert’s eastward spread. By securing this area, the barrier protects not only the local environment but also the vital Yellow River.
The desert edge-locking project doesn’t stop at straw grids. Plans are underway to plant grass and desert-adapted shrubs within the checkerboard grids once the rainy season begins. This vegetation is expected to secure the sand long-term and promote ecological restoration.
The construction of the green barrier belt dates back to the 1950s when the straw checkerboard method was first used to protect the Baotou-Lanzhou Railway, China’s first desert railway. Since then, local authorities have collaborated with research institutions to innovate in sand control technologies, including artificial cyanobacteria sand crusts and improved straw checkerboards.
Over the past two years, an investment of 2.6 billion yuan (about $363 million) has accelerated the barrier’s construction. This effort is part of China’s Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program, the world’s largest afforestation initiative aimed at tackling desertification.
“The green barrier belt is not only a means of ecological restoration but also a key practice of harmonious coexistence between humankind and nature,” Lu added. “It offers an important reference for the sustainable development of arid areas worldwide.”
China continues to play an active role in global desertification control. Since signing the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in 1994, the country has been a leader in halting land degradation and reversing desertification. The recent inauguration of the China-Central Asia desertification control cooperation center in Ningxia aims to boost international collaboration in this field.
“Our goal is to inject more Chinese momentum into global ecological governance and sustainable development,” said Dong Yanbiao, deputy director of the center. “We plan to leverage technological advantages, integrate domestic research, and build cooperation networks.”
