Geologists find unexpectedly large water sources in Xinjiang beneath China’s largest desert

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.