An eco-safety barrier has been built along the Yarlung Zangbo River in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, after decades of green efforts.
The Yarlung Zangbo River, the longest in Tibet, originates from the Himalayas and runs 2,057 kilometers from west to east through southern Tibet, before entering India.
In the reaches near the city of Shannan, because the valley widens and the water flow slows here, river sand accumulated easily, leading to sandstorms when the beach was exposed in winter and spring.
As a consequence, traffic accidents frequently occured due to obstructed vision and farmland was engulfed by the storms.
China started afforesting the area in early 1980s. During the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020), the city of Shannan invested some 1.8 billion yuan (about 280 million U.S. dollars) in afforesting 401,700 mu (26,780 hectares) of land.
The improving eco-environment has also been helpful in relieving Lhasa Gongga Airport in the Yarlung Zangbo river valley from sandstorms and strong winds, which have long posed a safety hazard for aircraft landings.
Produced by Xinhua Global Service
