Latest 40-year afforestation efforts sustained ecological restoration in the breadbasket of the Tibetan Plateau

Serving as the breadbasket of the Tibetan Plateau, the Middle Reach of the Yarlung Zangbo River basin is confronted with persistent threats of desertification, primarily driven by climate change and human activities. To address this challenge, the Chinese government has implemented afforestation initiatives in this region for over four decades, yielding substantial ecological benefits that support sustainable development. Based on extensive satellite-based observations, we reveal evidence for these positive outcomes from 1982 to 2020 and quantify their contributions. The most immediate effect is attributed to the control of desertification via restoring 59% of the sandy lands along the riverbanks and increasing forest cover from 133.85 to 419.54 km2. Additionally, these efforts have progressively enhanced climatic conditions by improving local heat and water conditions since 2000, despite the backdrop of global warming. This is evidenced by a decrease in land surface temperature by 2.64 ℃ and air temperature 0.3 ℃, alongside an average increase in volumetric soil moisture by 2.74% and relative humidity by 2.18%. These positive contributions significantly bolstered the region’s agricultural productivity, with grain production experiencing rapid growth between 1992 and 2018. Our findings suggest that long-term afforestation efforts effectively regulate local heat and water conditions, thereby supporting sustainable socio-economic development.