How many deserts are there in China? Revealing the distribution and current status of deserts in China
In recent years, as climate change and ecological protection issues have become more popular, China's desertification problem has once again become the focus of public attention. This article will combine the latest data to provide a detailed analysis of the distribution, area and management progress of China's deserts to help readers fully understand this ecological challenge.
1. Overview of China’s deserts
China is one of the countries with a large desert area in the world, mainly distributed in the northwest, north China and northeast regions. According to the latest survey data, the total area of deserts in China is approximately700,000 square kilometers, accounting for 7.4% of the land area. Here is detailed data for the major deserts:
| desert name | Area (10,000 square kilometers) | geographical location |
|---|---|---|
| Taklimakan Desert | 33.76 | Southern Xinjiang |
| Gurbantunggut Desert | 4.88 | Northern Xinjiang |
| Badain Jaran Desert | 4.92 | Western Inner Mongolia |
| Tengger Desert | 4.27 | The junction of Inner Mongolia, Gansu and Ningxia |
| kumtag desert | 2.28 | The border between Gansu and Xinjiang |
2. Current status and challenges of desertification
Although China has achieved remarkable results in preventing and controlling desertification, the problem of desertification remains severe. The following is a comparison of key data in the past 10 years:
| Year | Desertified land area (10,000 square kilometers) | average annual shrinkage rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 262.37 | — |
| 2019 | 257.37 | 0.1% |
| 2023 | 253.62 | 0.15% |
It is worth noting thatTaklimakan DesertandBadain Jaran DesertIt is still expanding outward at a rate of about 10 meters per year, which poses a serious threat to the surrounding ecological environment.
3. Achievements of desertification control projects in China
The ecological projects implemented by the Chinese government have achieved initial results:
| Project name | Start time | Treatment area (10,000 hectares) |
|---|---|---|
| Three North Protection Forest | 1978 | 317.02 |
| Return farmland to forest | 1999 | 3400 |
| Control of sandstorm sources in Beijing and Tianjin | 2000 | 1900 |
These projects make China a globalThe only country to achieve a net reduction in desertified landcountries, the average annual managed area exceeds 240,000 hectares.
4. Desert resources and ecological value
The desert is not completely barren, but it contains unique values:
| Resource type | development status | economic value |
|---|---|---|
| solar energy | Build the world's largest photovoltaic base | Annual power generation exceeds 50 billion kWh |
| Tourism resources | Develop desert adventure routes | Receives over 3 million tourists annually |
| biological resources | More than 200 species of drought-tolerant medicinal plants discovered | Potential medical value exceeds 10 billion |
5. Future Outlook
According to the National Desertification Prevention and Control Plan (2021-2030), China plans to complete the18.7 million hectares of desertified land were treated, focus on promoting:
1. Construction of intelligent monitoring system
2. Promotion of new photovoltaic desert control model
3. Cultivation of desert ecological industries
4. Cross-border ecological cooperation mechanism
China's deserts present both ecological challenges and development opportunities. Through technological innovation and continuous investment, this "yellow land" is gradually transforming into a new space for green development.
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