Will China’s ‘Great Green Wall’ expand to Mongolia in joint desertification fight?
Researchers from either side are discussing ‘joint construction’ of ecological security barrier as climate change worsens desertification
The project is the latest in joint efforts to help slow the spread of desertification in the Mongolian Plateau.
With nearly 80 per cent of Mongolian land degraded, the country’s battle with desertification has consequences that extend beyond its borders, posing challenges for the wider East Asian region.
The Gobi Desert, spanning a vast swathe of northern and northeastern China and parts of southern Mongolia, is a key source of sand and dust for sandstorms that have become increasingly severe in recent years, driven by stronger winds and growing desertification.
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Inner Mongolia battles sandstorms and expanding desert by planting forest
In 2021, China had its worst sandstorm in a decade as yellow sand and dust blanketed a dozen northern provinces, leading to soaring pollution levels and several deaths.