Dynamics of aeolian sandy land in the Yarlung Zangbo River basin of Tibet, China from 1975 to 2008

► We classify aeolian sandy land type and establish the remote-sensing interpretation marks. ► We analyse the type, distribution and dynamics of aeolian sandy land in the Yarlung Zangbo River basin. ► Aeolian sandy lands in the basin showed a slow increasing trend. ► The roles of climate changes and human activities played to the evolution of aeolian sandy lands were discussed.