Xinjiang Taklimakan Desert is rich in groundwater resources, why can't it be exploited?

Many people think that the Taklimakan Desert in Xinjiang is just a desert, and they know that it is relatively dry and short of water, but in fact, it just can't keep water on the surface, but there are abundant groundwater resources underground, just because it is limited by a specific environment, and there is no way to exploit it. We will learn more about the main reasons below.

First, we need to know the geographical location of the Taklimakan Desert. Tianshan Mountain is in the north, Kunlun Mountain and Altun Mountain in the south and Pamirs Plateau in the west. It is surrounded by mountains. There are many rivers around Taklimakan Desert, all of which are melting mountains and flowing clouds. Tarim River is also the longest inland river in China. After years of accumulation, these rivers contain many rich water resources underground. However, due to the hot weather in Taklimakan Desert, high temperature during the day and large evaporation on the surface, the surface of Taklimakan Desert can't keep water at all, in other words, it's not water shortage, but the ground can't keep water.

So why don't we develop the groundwater resources in Taklimakan Desert? This requires us to consider the ecological environment, because a desert has experienced many years and formed the local climate. If we change the animals and plants rashly, at least until now we can't develop and utilize the water here. Moreover, due to the loose soil in desert areas, forced groundwater extraction may lead to local land subsidence and various landslides, and even lead to the withering or even death of vegetation in desert oases, resulting in the disappearance of the original suitable living environment.

Therefore, solving the problem of water shortage in desert control should be considered in combination with the local actual situation. For example, we can learn from foreign advanced methods. In Saudi Arabia, they opened rivers to bring seawater inland. However, the needs of different environments are treated differently. We should consider the change of local climate, the trend of surrounding river basins and the management of human factors. Only in this way can we better develop and utilize desert areas and make use of these abundant water resources.