Geologists find unexpectedly large water sources in Xinjiang beneath China’s largest desert
Por Victoria Bela — South China Morning Post – News feed
Advertisement Science China Science Geologists find unexpectedly large water sources in Xinjiang beneath China’s largest desert
Discovery offers an answer to sand control and agricultural demands along the arid region’s edge
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Victoria Bela Published: 6:00pm, 16 Sep 2026
Geologists have discovered two large water sources beneath China’s largest desert, potentially offering the northwestern region a vital new tap for sand-control projects and agriculture.
The desert region has drawn attention for extensive afforestation and anti-desertification efforts taking place around its edges under the Great Green Wall initiative , alongside a rainfall trend that is transforming arid western China.
The groundwater discoveries were made as part of a water-finding project in the Taklamakan Desert conducted in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region by the region’s geological bureau, according to a report by CCTV Finance on Monday.
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The findings challenge the perception that “there is only stagnant water and salt water underground in the desert”, according to the report.
Stagnant groundwater is a source that has slowed or stopped moving, allowing bacteria and chemicals to build up and making it unsuitable for drinking and food production.
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