Will China’s ‘Great Green Wall’ expand to Mongolia?

China and Mongolia are joining forces to build an ecological security barrier to combat desertification and sandstorms, which may involve an expansion of the Chinese “Great Green Wall” across their shared border.

The project is the latest in joint efforts to help slow the spread of desertification in the Mongolian Plateau.

With nearly 80 per cent of Mongolian land affected by degradation, the country’s battle with desertification has consequences that extend beyond its borders, posing significant challenges for the wider East Asian region.

The Gobi Desert, spanning a vast swathe of northern and northeastern China and parts of southern Mongolia, is a key source of sand and dust for sandstorms that have become increasingly severe in recent years, driven by stronger winds and growing desertification.

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Inner Mongolia battles sandstorms and expanding desert by planting forest

Inner Mongolia battles sandstorms and expanding desert by planting forest

In 2021, China had its worst sandstorm in a decade as yellow sand and dust blanketed a dozen northern provinces, leading to soaring pollution levels and several deaths.