Yes, China is actively planting trees in areas affected by deserts as part of large-scale environmental projects aimed at combating desertification and dust storms.
One of the most significant efforts is known as the Great Green Wall.
Understanding the Great Green Wall
Based on information about the project:
- The 'wall' is not a single, continuous structure.
- It is comprised of strips and patches of trees.
- These trees are planted in vast swathes across the north of China.
Purpose and Benefits of the Planting
The primary goal of planting trees in these regions is to mitigate the severe environmental challenges posed by nearby deserts:
- Windbreaks: The planted trees act as crucial windbreaks.
- Dust Storm Mitigation: They help to block the frequent dust storms that blow across the area from major deserts like the Gobi and Taklamakan deserts.
- Soil Protection: These storms can break up soil, and the trees help to stabilize the ground.
- Protecting Farming Capacity: By reducing soil erosion and storm impact, the project aims to protect and restore the region's farming capacity, which is reduced by desert encroachment and dust.
Therefore, China is undertaking extensive tree-planting initiatives in desert-adjacent and desert-impacted areas of northern China to create protective barriers against the harsh desert environment.
