URUMQI, June 16 (Xinhua) -- Scientists from northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region are working to help African countries transform the sandy regions into greener, arable land with more trees and productive agricultural practices.
By leveraging smart technologies, indigenous Chinese expertise and a dual commitment to sand control and economic growth, they aim to establish sustainable ecosystems in these regions that have long suffered from desertification, known as "the cancer of Earth."
Noting that desertification is a shared global challenge, Lei Jiaqiang, a lead researcher at the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said collaborative efforts are crucial. Over the past decades, Lei and his colleagues have gained extensive experience in tackling desertification in northwest China and shared them with African countries.
As June 17 marks the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, these efforts are gaining increased attention and are expected to yield fruitful outcomes.
DRIVEN BY SKILLS, SOLUTIONS
Although the impacts of desertification are similar worldwide, such as biodiversity loss, low land productivity and disrupted transportation, scientists admit that the climate challenges faced by tropical African countries are greater as plants in these countries must endure year-round heat.
Mauritania, situated along the Atlantic coast, is one such country, with nearly three-quarters of its territory engulfed by the Sahara Desert.
Lei still vividly remembered his first visit to the country’s capital more than a decade ago. The streets were lined with piles of sand, and the sidewalks, railways and houses were engulfed by shifting dunes.
After extensive research and testing, Chinese scientists implemented a range of effective measures to reverse the situation. They introduced a diverse array of plant species from China, deployed straw checkerboard sand barriers and applied the homegrown water-saving irrigation technologies.
Smart technologies such as agricultural robots, drones and sand-blocking systems powered by solar panels have been introduced by Chinese research institutes and enterprises to help boost efficiency.
These approaches are rooted in China’s extensive experience in combating desertification. As one of the world’s most severely affected countries, China has 2.57 million square km of land, about 26.8 percent of its total area, impacted by desertification.
Xinjiang has long stood at the forefront of China’s fight against desertification. Home to the Taklimakan Desert -- China’s largest and the world’s second-largest drifting desert -- the region has seen nearby communities grapple with frequent wind and sandstorms.
It captured global attention last November when China completed a 3,046-km green belt of trees and sand-blocking technologies, fully encircling the desert.
Over the past decades, China has expanded its afforestation area by 32 million hectares under an afforestation program and restored 53 percent of its treatable desertified land. It has also achieved the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goal of zero-growth in land degradation a decade in advance.
FOR ENVIRONMENT, DEVELOPMENT
African countries, including Mauritania, have also launched their own afforestation projects. Among the most prominent is the Great Green Wall Initiative, launched by the African Union in 2007 and involving 11 countries across the southern edge of the Sahara.
As part of this ambitious transnational effort, the China-Africa Green Technology Park in Mauritania, which was established in 2024, serves as a demonstration zone for applying China’s desertification control experience in Africa.
An aerial photo offers a glimpse of this 2-hectare oasis amid the vast desert, where rows of thriving fruit trees and vegetable seedlings grow in neatly organized plots, while dark blue solar panels line the fields, supplying clean energy to power the irrigation system.
Just last year, this was a barren land swept by wind and sand, but by February, it had harvested the first batch of vegetables, said Zhou Na, a researcher at the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, who has frequently traveled to Mauritania to assist with the park’s development.
She explained that her team planted a shelter belt around the park, cultivating a variety of forage grasses, vegetables, fruits and ornamental plants such as bougainvillea and palm trees.
"We have harvested peppers, cabbage, watermelons and tomatoes, some of which have been supplied to local residents," Zhou said, adding that the team expects the park to not only help control sand but also bring tangible benefits to nearby communities.
"This is the ultimate goal," said Wang Yongdong, a senior engineer at the Xinjiang-based institute. "Not only to protect the environment, but also to support local economic and social development."
In addition to building the pilot demonstration zone, China has trained 45 local technicians in greening technologies and created 120 jobs for the local community.
In a recent interview with Xinhua, Mauritanian environment minister Messouda Baham Mohamed Laghdaf called the park "a green revolution in the making," and described China as an "irreplaceable" partner.
Despite challenges like language barriers, divided approaches and lack of long-term planning, the Chinese scientists remain committed to expanding the scope of their efforts.
They plan to continue monitoring and research, aiming to develop replicable and sustainable models tailored to building Africa’s "Great Green Wall."
"As a contract party in the global fight against desertification, China has both the responsibility and the commitment to promote these technologies," Wang said. "We are a community with a shared future, and we hope our anti-desertification cooperation efforts will reflect that spirit."
原文地址：http://en.people.cn/n3/2025/0616/c90000-20328267.html