China’s ‘green great wall’ in Inner Mongolia traps 3 more deserts

The last piece of straw checkerboard, a widely used method in China to stabilise sand, was placed at the southern edge of the Badain Jaran Desert on Sunday, according to state news agency Xinhua.

The move completed a 1,856km (1,153-mile) green belt that also runs across the Tengger and Ulan Buh deserts, the agency reported on Monday.

The three deserts in Alxa league, the westernmost part of Inner Mongolia, cover a total area of 94,700 sq km (36,564 square miles).

Zhang Youyong, chief engineer of the Alxa right banner’s forestry, grassland and desert control bureau, told Xinhua: “We use the straw checkerboard method to first lock the shifting sand, followed by planting drought-resistant trees such as sacsaoul.

“This approach helps us build an effective sand prevention and control system, ultimately strengthening the ecological barrier.”