# Taklamakan Desert ecological and water developments

> Developing situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/taklamakan-desert-ecological-and-water-developments
> Updated: 2026-10-12T05:51:04.000Z. Sources: 2. Developments: 2.

China has completed a 3,000 km vegetation belt surrounding the Taklamakan Desert in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. This milestone, part of the Three-North Shelterbelt Program, involved closing the final 100-meter gap on the southern edge of the desert to stabilize sand and prevent desert expansion.

Following the completion of this green belt, geological agencies in Xinjiang discovered two massive groundwater sources within and near the Taklamakan Desert. The combined volume of these sources is reported to be nearly six times the capacity of the Three Gorges Dam reservoir. This discovery challenges previous assumptions that groundwater in the region was primarily stagnant or highly saline and may provide critical water supplies for maintaining the newly established vegetation and supporting local agriculture.

## Timeline

### 2026-10-12: China discovers massive groundwater sources in Taklamakan Desert

Geologists in Xinjiang, China, have discovered massive groundwater sources in the Taklamakan Desert, with a combined volume nearly six times that of the Three Gorges Dam reservoir.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/china-discovers-massive-groundwater-sources-in-taklamakan-desert

### 2026-09-27: China completes 3,000 km green belt around Taklamakan Desert

China has completed a 3,000 km green belt around the Taklamakan Desert, a decades-long effort to combat desertification and protect surrounding regions from sand expansion.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/china-completes-3000-km-green-belt-around-taklamakan-desert

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Cite as: Taklamakan Desert ecological and water developments. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/taklamakan-desert-ecological-and-water-developments