The Talimakan Desert and Kumtag Desert in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region are likely to merge. Approximately 200 sections of the No. 218 national highway, which runs between the two deserts, have been buried by sand dunes, according to a recent survey.

A Chinese expert blames the joining of the two major deserts on the withering and death of large tracts of poplars as a result of prolonged dry spells in the Tarim River in recent years.

To help reverse the trend, the Chinese government has invested 10.7 billion yuan (1.3 million US dollars) to harness the Tarim River in an effort to form a green belt between the two gigantic deserts.

Meanwhile, a satellite photograph shows that the Badain Jaran Desert and Tengger Desert in northern Inner Mongolia, China's third and fourth largest deserts respectively, have also joined together.

Fanned by gale-force winds, the Badain Jaran Desert is moving southeastward fast at an annual speed of 15-20 meters.

Its extension was spurred by the drastic decline of a forest of sacsaoul trees. The forest area had been halved to 200,000 hectares, a regional forest official said.

The worsening situation with these deserts has drawn high attention from the Chinese government, and the State Planning Commission, the Ministry of Finance and the autonomous government of Inner Mongolia are now working jointly on a comprehensive ecological improvement plan.

(China Daily June 26, 2002)