URUMQI -- The Taklimakan Desert sand-blocking green belt project in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, which celebrated its first anniversary on Friday, has effectively protected surrounding oases, farmland and grasslands by curbing desert expansion, with sand sources now under control.
The 3,046-kilometer green ecological barrier -- the world's longest of its kind -- encircles China's largest desert like a "green scarf" to control sand diffusion. This project was globally recognized last month when it was listed among the "2025 Top 10 Global Engineering Achievements" by the World Federation of Engineering Organizations (WFEO).
Over the past year, 21 key counties and cities along the desert edge have expanded the barrier by 8.9 million mu (approximately 593,400 hectares), increasing its width by 110 meters to 7,500 meters. Infrastructure such as water supply, electricity and roads has been steadily improved, supporting the barrier's growth and sustainability.
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