Lop Nur Nature Sanctuary Biodiversity Conservation

The Lop Nur region of Gashun Gobi desert, formerly a nuclear testing site, was recently declared by the Chinese Government as a Nature Sanctuary. The Lop Nur Sanctuary is home to the last surviving genetically pure herd of wild Bactrian camels (Camelus bactrianus ferus) in the world. With the cessation of nuclear testing, it was critical that the area be granted protected status to prevent damaging human encroachment of this unique Central Asian dry-land ecosystem, especially by illegal miners and hunters, the most serious threats to the wild camel’s survival. The project aims to strengthen the establishment and management of the sanctuary and would provide a wide variety of environmental benefits including protection of rare dry-land biodiversity, improved water-points and prevention from wind erosion.