Elvira Kadyrova
Just 16 kilometers from the heart of Yulin city, in the Yuyang district, lies the Xiaozihan base—a national demonstration zone for combating desertification. Seventy years ago, this area was dominated by sand dunes and yellow sands, threatening Yulin’s urban zone with sandstorms. Today, it stands as a symbol of ecological revival, and our youth delegation from Turkmenistan was fortunate to visit the base to study its unique greening experience.
Once, hundreds of large and small dunes served as a source of sand, wreaking havoc on Yulin’s ecosystem. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, local authorities and residents united to halt the desert’s advance. A method for stabilizing sands was developed, based on a sequential approach: first, barriers were erected to anchor the sands, followed by the planting of grasses and shrubs, and only then the Mongolian pine, resilient to harsh conditions. This principle became the cornerstone of the land restoration campaign.
Since 2012, the fight against desertification has reached a new level. Yulin introduced centralized management models, including initiatives like the “National Voluntary Tree Planting,” the protective forest belt project in China’s three northern regions, and programs to control sand sources for Beijing and Tianjin. Special attention was given to the “six-in-one” afforestation technology, which includes barrier stabilization of dunes, deep planting of drought-resistant species, irrigation, biological pest control, and restricted access to restored areas. Innovative approaches, such as large-scale contracting and green procurement, accelerated the process.
The results are striking: Mongolian pine saplings, planted half a century ago at just 50 centimeters tall, have grown into trees reaching 4–6 meters in height. Today, the Xiaozihan base is a sustainable ecosystem with protective forest belts, where coniferous and broadleaf species, grasses, and shrubs coexist harmoniously. The sandstorms that once threatened Yulin are now a thing of the past.
For Turkmenistan, which is actively pursuing strategies to maintain ecological balance, Yulin’s experience is a treasure trove of knowledge and solutions. From this perspective, a dialogue between Turkmen and Chinese ecologists and forestry specialists would be immensely valuable. ///nCa, 1 August 2025