Synergic effects of land-use management systems towards the reclamation of Aeolian Desertified Land in the Shiyang River Basin

Abstract

Achieving zero land degradation neutrality in Aeolian Desertified Land (ADL) is a challenging task that requires continuous scientific understanding and technical efforts to effectively manage natural resources for economic development while meeting environmental needs. This study used Landsat collection and annual average climate data from the growing season to investigate the efficacy of established land management policies to restore degraded land and reverse the aeolian desertification process in the Shiyang river basin between 1974 and 2020. The time-series Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) results revealed that greening and browning trend patterns depend on climatic conditions in rangelands and water allocation management systems in farmlands. Thanks to land rehabilitation and watershed management projects, farmland has been extended to 3.1%, shifting sand area has been reduced to 9.2%, and water in Qingtu lake area re-emergedfrom 0 to 17.05 Km2 in the early 2010 s. Built-up areas also extended to 87.05 km2 between 2010 and 2020 due to extensive construction of solar power panels in the area. The severity of desertification is profoundly linked to climate and land-use management systems in the Shiyang river basin. Moreover, the ADL area declined from 14.65% to 10.74% of the entire river basin, where intensity has steadily reversed in several basin parts, mainly in the middle reach. Around 2248 km2 of land were entirely rehabilitated, 2298 km2 remained steady, 1706 km2 exhibited a reverse in desertification intensity, 199 km2 degraded, and 277 km2 of land were newly turned into ADL between 1974 and 2020, with a large portion of degraded land occurred in the lower reach of the Basin. These findings highlight land management contribution, rational water allocation, and conservation measures to reverse desertification and maintain a sustainable ecosystem despite climate change impacts and water resources shortage in the Shiyang river basin. This research will help decision-makers set up novel land management programs for better eco-environment development in the future.