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In recent years the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in northwest China has stepped up its efforts to restore and protect the ecological balance of its local environment.

In a major step the central and local governments between 2002 and 2015 will jointly spend 4 billion yuan (some 480 million U.S. dollars) to halt soil erosion on both sides of the Tianshan Mountains, according to sources with the regional water resources administration.

Previously, the State Council decided to spend 10.7 billion yuan (1.28 billion U.S. dollars) on improving the environment in areas irrigated by the Tarim River, the longest inland river in China.

As a result, since last November, water once again has flowed into the lower reaches of the river which have been dry for more than 30 years.

Construction on other projects which are designed to improve the local environment has begun.

An official in charge of water resources said that on completion of these projects within the next 15 years, 26,000 square kilometers of improved farmland will be added to the total arable land in Xinjiang.

Xinjiang has an area of 1.03 million square kilometers which suffers from soil erosion, accounting for more than one-fifth of the national total. In addition 360 square kilometers of usable land turns into desert annually.

The world's second largest moving desert, the Taklimakan Desert, as well as the Gurbantunggut Desert' are located in the region, where 47 percent of China's desert areas are located.

To curb the ecological deterioration of the local environment, the local government has launched a series of projects to improve and protect it.

In the northern area of Xinjiang, a water project which will cost over 6 billion yuan is now under smooth construction. According to a plan, Xinjiang will reduce its cotton-planting area by 200,000 hectares within three years starting from 2000, and will return the low-yield cotton fields to forest and grass.

In 1992, Xinjiang kicked off a project to curb desert expansion.To date, the region has planted 130,000 hectares of forest belts and has fenced 920,000 hectares of deserts ready for planting trees and grass.

In 1995, Xinjiang's Hotan Prefecture was presented an award by the United Nations Environment Programme for its outstanding achievements in desert prevention and control of land deterioration.

China launched a strategic program to develop its vast western region more than two years ago. While focusing on boosting its economic development in the region, the program also aims to restore the western region's mountains and rivers to their former beauty.