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Private afforestation project tackles desert expansion near Malan Lake
The initiative at Malan Lake in Inner Mongolia aims to slow sand movement, after early surveys found dunes reaching 30 metres high and advancing about 12 metres a year.
A private afforestation effort is underway on the southeastern rim of the Tengger Desert near Malan Lake in Alxa, Inner Mongolia, where dunes can rise up to 30 metres and move roughly 12 metres per year, according to SCMP Economy. Founder YUEN Shu Wah says the spread of desert conditions has devastated communities and must be contained.
The project, run by Alxa League Springfield Forest Limited, focuses on afforestation, planting trees in long-unforested areas as opposed to reforestation. SCMP Economy reports that YUEN started exploring desert restoration in the late 2000s, formally establishing the company in 2011 after initial site surveys around 2010.
Early attempts highlighted the technical difficulty of the shifting terrain, with seedlings on windward slopes at risk of being uprooted, while those on leeward sides can be buried. After more than two years of experimentation, the project scaled up with significant capital investment in 2013 to 2014, shifting from small trials to systematic planting.
SCMP Economy says the initiative has expanded to plant up to 150,000 mu, or about 100 square kilometres, of desert in a single year at its most intensive. Planting density is kept low, about 50 plants per mu, to support survival under limited rainfall, and the program is described as evolving into a structured operation involving staff, seasonal workers, universities, research organizations, and government partners.