China Transforms Desertification into Economic Opportunities in Central Asia

According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, desertification in Central Asia has transcended environmental concerns, evolving into a significant economic and social challenge due to drought, land degradation, salinization, dust storms, and climate change.

In response, Central Asian nations are turning to China’s extensive experience in desertification control. Beijing is actively sharing its advanced technologies and management strategies for sand dune stabilization, land restoration, and water resource optimization with the region.

What distinguishes China’s approach is its focus on integrating environmental recovery with economic benefits for local populations, a model described as ‘territorial restoration driven by the economy’.

One of China’s well-known methods for controlling shifting sand dunes involves the use of straw checkerboards. This technique, employed since the 1950s in areas like Ningxia’s Zhongwei, involves embedding bundles of dry straw into sandy surfaces to form grids. These grids effectively reduce wind speed near the ground, thereby limiting sand movement.

Initially aimed at sand stabilization, this method was later combined with vegetation planting to allow for plant establishment once sand movement was reduced. China emphasizes that this technology is adaptable, requiring adjustments based on desert size, vegetation type, climate, soil, and water availability – a principle being applied in its collaborations with Central Asian countries.

In July 2025, the China-Central Asia Cooperation Center for Desertification Prevention and Control was inaugurated in Ningxia. This center facilitates the transfer of China’s expertise in land degradation control to Central Asian nations. Its first year saw the development of three operational projects for Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan.

Additionally, three international training courses were conducted, attended by experts from Central Asia and Belt and Road Initiative member countries, with 170 individuals receiving training. These programs extended beyond sand stabilization to include mountain afforestation, soil erosion control, forest pest management, and grassland fire prevention for specialists from Tajikistan.

This collaboration is fostering a knowledge-sharing network for combating land degradation across Central Asia.

A crucial aspect of China’s strategy lies in the synergy between environmental conservation and economic development. China recognizes that afforestation and sand stabilization alone are insufficient without economic incentives for local communities. Consequently, models have been developed where the vegetation used for desertification control simultaneously generates income.

Xinjiang serves as a prime example. In its desert and semi-desert areas, species like Saxaul and Haloxylon are planted for sand fixation and protective cover, alongside medicinal plants such as Cistanche, which grows in proximity to desert flora and is a key ingredient in various pharmaceuticals.

This model establishes a direct link between environmental protection and economic gain. Desert plants stabilize soil, medicinal herbs provide income streams, and the resulting revenue incentivizes local communities to protect vegetation cover. In China’s Yutian County, affected by desertification, Licorice, Mint, and Sage are cultivated alongside Cistanche. Drip irrigation systems have significantly boosted planting success rates in arid regions, achieving up to 90% plant establishment in some projects.

Elements of this Chinese experience are now being tested in Central Asia, particularly in Uzbekistan around the Aral Sea, a region heavily impacted by land degradation.

Uzbekistan is a key player in combating land degradation due to the Aral Sea crisis. Projects involving Chinese collaboration in the vicinity of Nukus, Uzbekistan’s sixth-largest city, focus on restoring saline lands and enhancing water use efficiency. These initiatives incorporate drip irrigation, solar panels, and smart fertilizer management systems.

According to Chinese data, cotton yields in these project areas have averaged over 46 tons per hectare annually, a significant increase compared to the regional average of about 18 tons per hectare. Water consumption has reportedly been reduced by approximately 70% compared to traditional methods. While these figures require further validation across the region, they highlight the effectiveness of China’s environmental cooperation, which extends beyond tree planting to encompass economic efficiency and water conservation.

Beyond agricultural projects, Uzbekistan has been actively afforesting the dried bed of the Aral Sea with Saxaul, a shrub resilient to arid and saline conditions, helping to stabilize soil and mitigate salt and dust movement from the exposed seabed. Uzbekistani data indicates millions of hectares have undergone afforestation, with plans for continued expansion and the cultivation of salt-tolerant plants and specialized desert nurseries.

This approach promotes a ‘desert-focused economy,’ utilizing the limited but tangible potential of arid regions for income generation.

Kazakhstan, facing extensive dry and semi-arid zones, is pursuing the ‘Central Asian Green Belt’ initiative. This project aims to establish green corridors and natural barriers to mitigate the impact of dust storms and slow land degradation. Dust storms are a particular concern for Kazakhstan due to their transboundary nature. A regional system for land monitoring and dust source identification is considered crucial alongside local efforts.

China has been sharing its technologies and expertise with Central Asian nations, including sand stabilization techniques, the use of resilient plant species, and water resource management. It is acknowledged that China’s experience cannot be uniformly applied; climatic differences, altitude, soil, water resources, and land use practices necessitate the localization of these methods.

In Kyrgyzstan, the challenge differs. The country faces land degradation primarily through pasture degradation, soil erosion, vegetation loss, declining water resources, and climate change, rather than a widespread desert front akin to parts of Xinjiang or Kazakhstan. Pasture management is therefore critical, as overgrazing can deplete vegetation, cause soil erosion, and hinder land’s regenerative capacity. This necessitates not only tree planting but also reforms in land utilization.

Proposed solutions include designated pasture rest periods, temporary grazing restrictions, and the planting of resilient perennial species. In degraded areas, physical land protection and livestock exclusion may be necessary, underscoring that desertification ultimately hinges on natural resource management.

Central Asian countries increasingly recognize that land degradation is a shared challenge requiring collective action. Dust storms ignore political boundaries, soil erosion impacts water and agricultural resources, and climate change affects the entire region.

Consequently, proposals for joint land and dust storm monitoring systems are emerging. Kyrgyzstan has proposed a regional center for verifying land degradation data, while Uzbekistan emphasizes developing a regional dust storm monitoring system. Turkmenistan has suggested establishing a regional center for combating desertification, and Kazakhstan is advancing the ‘Green Belt’ concept. Tajikistan advocates for financing climate projects and utilizing instruments like green bonds and debt-for-environment swaps.

These initiatives share a common thread: desertification control is no longer solely about planting trees. Science, technology, financing, satellite data, water management, and regional cooperation have become integral components of land degradation mitigation policies.

China’s collaboration with Central Asia offers valuable lessons for Iran, which faces similar challenges including drought, pasture degradation, soil erosion, dust generation hotspots, and water scarcity.

The first lesson is to avoid reducing desertification control to mere tree planting. Sustainable results require integration with water management, grazing control, vegetation restoration, and soil protection.

The second lesson is to monetize territorial restoration. China’s experience demonstrates that in arid regions, alongside soil-stabilizing species, medicinal plants and other climate-adapted products can generate income. This transforms local populations from recipients of aid into active participants in land conservation.

The third lesson is enhancing water use efficiency. In arid areas, all territorial restoration projects must be designed based on realistic water resource capacities. Adopting modern irrigation techniques, solar energy, and smart technologies can alleviate pressure on water resources.

The fourth lesson is continuous monitoring and real-time data utilization. Satellite imagery and field data are crucial for promptly identifying dust sources, changes in vegetation cover, and soil degradation.

Finally, Iran can benefit from Central Asia’s experience in cross-border cooperation to combat dust and land degradation. Similar to the Central Asian nations’ pursuit of joint mechanisms, Iran can position desertification control as a key pillar of its environmental cooperation with neighboring countries in this vital region and West Asia.

China’s experience underscores that combating desertification is not a sporadic tree-planting operation but a long-term economic, social, and environmental process. Success is contingent upon integrating land restoration, water management, technology, local community income generation, and regional cooperation into a unified framework for policymaking and implementation.