Tibet makes progress against encroaching sand

With an investment of 523 million yuan ($80 million), the Tibet autonomous region completed desertification control projects on more than 1,390 square kilometers of land during the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-20), Tibet Daily reported.

The region has adopted such measures as cutting off sand sources, erecting barriers to reduce wind speed, solidifying sand and increasing vegetation coverage.

Water conservation is another key effort used in desertification control, the report said.

Thanks to these efforts, the region's overall trend of desertification has been reduced, resulting in significant ecological improvements along the upper and middle reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River, as well as in areas along the Lhasa and Shiquan (Seng-ge Khabab) rivers. 

These desertification control projects mitigate the effects of sandstorms and reduce soil alkalinity and drought.