China: first CO2-neutral highway opens in the desert
By converting the irrigation system to solar-powered pumps, this is China's first CO2-neutral desert highway, he said. The project could serve as an example for similar ventures in the fight against desertification.
Increasing desertification is a global challenge. However, with desert areas contributing more than two million square kilometres, China suffers particularly from the problem. About 27.2 percent of the country is currently covered by arid desert landscapes. In order to slow down the advance of the deserts and at the same time limit the impact of the road on the environment, China has been working for years on the construction of a CO2-neutral highway. Now the work has been completed. According to announcements by the Chinese government, the Tarim desert highway in the Xinjiang region has been officially CO2-neutral since June.
The 566-kilometre-long highway has been in operation since 1995. However, the maintenance of the road required numerous changes and improvements. A more than 400-kilometre-long protective forest was created on both sides of the road in 2005 for this purpose. This should provide more permanent protection against wind and sand storms, as well as improve the local environment. To irrigate the bush, the local government set up more than 100 diesel-powered water pumps.
Now, according to the region, the use of diesel fuel for the water stations was a thing of the past. Under the project implemented by the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), operations have now been switched to solar power, it said. 86 photovoltaic systems had replaced the conventional diesel pumps and will provide continuous irrigation for the bushes. According to Chinese media, 1000 tonnes of diesel and 3410 tonnes of carbon dioxide will be saved per year by switching to renewable energy. The achievement of CO2 neutrality is also supported by the protective forest itself, as the vegetation is supposed to absorb the emissions of passing vehicles.
China had already introduced measures to limit desertification in other parts of the country. The state also reports success in Kubuqi, the seventh largest desert in China. The area of desertification has decreased by about 2424 square kilometres annually in the last five years. The reports on the results achieved have, of course, also attracted international attention over time. The model has been implemented not only in other large sand areas in China, but also in Saudi Arabia, Mongolia and other countries participating in the Silk Road Initiative.
As climate change continues, more and more countries will have to deal with desertification and the consequences of drought. Each project could be an important test and model for developing effective plans to combat desertification. A cross-national collaboration to combat climate change and its far-reaching consequences could emerge. For this to happen, however, it is not only the Chinese project that must prove successful. China should be willing to openly share data and technical knowledge with Western countries as well.