The cyanobacteria-based crust, which can withstand winds of 36 kmph, is slated to reclaim up to 6667 hectares in Ningxia over the next five years. This could serve as a blueprint for global desert restoration and climate change mitigation
Grass grids spread out across the area serve as barriers and trap sand. Pic Courtesy/Chinese Academy of Sciences
Chinese researchers are working on a massive geoengineering project of “artificial crusting.” They are using vast amounts of blue-green algae to turn barren dunes into stable, reclaimable land. This method marks the first time microbes have been used on such a massive scale to reshape natural landscapes.
The cyanobacteria-based crust, which can withstand winds of 36 kmph, is slated to reclaim up to 6667 hectares in Ningxia over the next five years. This could serve as a blueprint for global desert restoration and climate change mitigation.
Deserts are notoriously difficult to reclaim as most plants cannot survive the abrasive, shifting nature of sand.
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