# Taklamakan restoration captures more carbon than it emits, study finds 2026-08-07T05:50:53+00:00 | World & Diplomacy | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Satellite observations suggest vegetation planted along China’s Taklamakan Desert is now absorbing more carbon dioxide than it releases, according to a study published in PNAS. The finding concerns restored areas on the desert’s margins, not the sandy interior. China’s Three-North Shelterbelt Programme, launched in 1978, uses trees, shrubs and shelterbelts to limit wind erosion and protect farmland and settlements. The project depends on irrigation supplied by rivers fed by snow and glacier melt from nearby mountain ranges. Scientists caution that the vegetation remains sparse and resembles dry shrubland, rather than tropical forest. The carbon gains may also be difficult to replicate in deserts without reliable water, while past planting drives in northern China faced criticism over high water demand and poor survival. ## Coverage - timesofindia.indiatimes.com Tags: afforestation, carbon sinks, China, Taklamakan Desert, water supply Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/taklamakan-restoration-captures-more-carbon-than-it-emits-study-finds/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/taklamakan-restoration-captures-more-carbon-than-it-emits-study-finds/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.