The northern slope of the Kunlun Mountains is a strategically important area for safeguarding national security in the new era and a key passage in the “Silk Road Economic Belt”, with a prominent strategic position. However, due to historical and natural reasons, the economic development in this region is relatively lagging. This paper systematically analyzes the current issues in the high-quality development in the northern slope of the Kunlun Mountains, including low water utilization limit, serious lag in water conservancy construction, relatively single industrial layout, slow urbanization process with a lack of important industrial layout, and insufficient driving force for high-quality regional development. In conjunction with the regional natural environmental characteristics and development opportunities, this paper proposes to accelerate the construction of an urban cluster system for this economic belt with multi-industry coordinated development, significantly improve the water resource utilization limits and enhance water management capabilities with conservancy engineering, guarantee the water resource security for agricultural upgrading and efficiency improvement in the economic belt of the northern slope of the Kunlun Mountains. It is proposed to systematically build a multi-functional agricultural-forestry-pastoral base in the region, construct a diversified food supply system, bridge the water deficit with energy, improve comprehensive resource utilization efficiency. By advantages leveraging and resource sharing between the Production and Construction Corps of Xinjiang and local communities, it aims to accelerate the construction and high-quality development of the economic belt of the northern slope of Kunlun Mountains. The research findings can provide technological support for ecological security and accelerating high-quality development in the economic belt of the northern slope of the Kunlun Mountains.

The Ili River Basin, spanning China and Kazakhstan, features a delicate ecological environment. Understanding the vegetation changes throughout the basin is essential for the region’s sustainable development. This study analyzed spatiotemporal vegetation variations in the Ili River Basin from 2000 to 2022, utilizing enhanced vegetation index data from MODIS. We examined vegetation change disparities within and outside China’s portion of the basin, among various vegetation types, and across different elevations. Our findings reveal: (1) Since 2000, vegetation conditions have generally improved across the Ili River Basin, notably in Kazakhstan, whereas a decline was observed within China. Degraded regions are predominantly at elevations between 1000 m and 3000 m. Grasslands and croplands exhibited positive trends, in contrast to forests. (2) Over the past 20 years, the Ili River Basin experienced minor vegetation fluctuations, with more pronounced variations within China. Grasslands encountered higher fluctuations compared to croplands and forests, and the 2500 m to 3000 m elevation range showed relatively stable vegetation. (3) Future projections indicate a prevailing positive trend in vegetation across the Ili River Basin, with approximately 52% of the areas expected to see ongoing improvement. Grasslands are anticipated to have higher improvement ratios than croplands and forests. Regions below 1000 m and above 3000 m in elevation are likely to experience sustained positive changes. This study’s insights into vegetation dynamics will inform ecological protection strategies in the Ili River Basin.

To investigate the chemical characteristics of groundwater and its evolutionary patterns in the middle and lower reaches of the Hotan River Basin, Xinjiang, China, this study analyzed 21 groundwater samples from the area. It included an examination of the constituents and origins of groundwater solutes and the reverse simulation of hydrogeochemical processes. The analysis employed Piper trilinear diagrams, Gibbs diagrams, PHREEQC software, and mathematical statistics to explore the chemical properties of groundwater, the principal sources of solutes, and their evolution in the study region. The results revealed that: (1) High concentrations of eight conventional ions in the groundwater, with Cl^-, SO₄^2-, Na⁺, Ca²⁺, and HCO₃^- being particularly abundant. (2) There was a significant spatial variability in the dissolved constituents of the groundwater. The predominant chemical types were SO₄·Cl-Ca·Mg and SO₄·Cl-Na, with the latter being more common across most areas. The groundwater’s alkalinity was generally low, and the water quality in most regions met daily drinking water standards. However, in some oasis plains, elevated NO₃^- levels were attributed to human activities. (3) The dissolution of minerals such as halite, calcite, dolomite, and gypsum, facilitated by water-rock interactions and cation exchange, was identified as the main source of Na⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Cl^-, and SO₄^2- ions in the groundwater. During transit to finer soil plains and desert areas, ion concentrations increased due to evaporation and concentration processes. (4) In open system conditions, CO₂ enhanced the dissolution of various minerals, leading to increased ion concentrations. As groundwater flowed into the alluvial plains downstream, the fine sand layer acted as a barrier, reducing the intensity of groundwater flow and solute leaching, with evaporation and concentration processes becoming more dominant. This study provides a theoretical foundation for the sustainable development and management of water resources and environmental protection in the Hotan River Basin.

The gobi, a prominent terrain feature in desert regions, exhibits surface characteristics markedly distinct from those of typical desert terrains. Therefore, it is imperative to investigate the radiation balance properties of the gobi’s surface in desert environments to enhance the accuracy of parameters used in land-atmosphere energy exchange models, particularly in the Taklimakan Desert. Utilizing continuous observational data from the Qira gobi station, situated on the southern periphery of the Taklimakan Desert as part of the China-Japan Sand and Dust Storm Cooperation Project (ADEC), this study examines the diurnal variations in the components of surface radiation balance at the Qira gobi station throughout the year, across different seasons, and under various weather conditions. The findings indicate that: (1) The peak values for radiation components at the Qira gobi station are typically observed in July, with the exception of upward shortwave radiation, which peaks in January. (2) The diurnal variation maxima for downward and upward shortwave radiation are recorded in spring, whereas the peak values for downward longwave radiation, upward longwave radiation, and net radiation are noted in summer. (3) During sunny days, the radiation components exhibit a consistent trend across seasons, whereas under cloudy, overcast, and rainy conditions, their variations are erratic. Specifically, during precipitation events, both downward and upward longwave radiations significantly surpass the levels of other components. (4) The annual average surface albedo is calculated at 0.32. Notably, the albedo increases substantially during winter owing to snow cover, with the seasonal sequence from highest to lowest being winter, spring, autumn, and summer. The diurnal albedo variation, influenced by the solar zenith angle, forms a smooth “U” shape on clear days, whereas it fluctuates irregularly under different weather conditions.