China's Qinghai sees decreasing desertified, sandy land

XINING, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Northwest China's Qinghai Province has seen a reduction of 1.32 million mu (about 88,000 hectares) in desertified land and 1.59 million mu in sandy areas over the past five years, local authorities said Friday.

Qinghai is not only a crucial ecological security barrier for China but also distinguishes itself as one of the provincial-level regions most severely impacted by desertification, according to the provincial forestry and grassland department.

Through years of efforts, Qinghai has identified a series of sand control technologies and governance models related to seedling breeding, sand fixation, afforestation, and grass cultivating in sandy areas.

A department spokesperson said the province plans to complete the comprehensive treatment of sandy land, covering 4.03 million mu, within three years.

Qinghai administers part of the Sanjiangyuan area, which contains the headwaters of China's three major rivers, namely the Yangtze, Yellow, and Lancang rivers.

The province saw the greening of 5.26 million mu of land during 2022.