Synergic effects of land-use management systems towards the reclamation of Aeolian Desertified Land in the Shiyang River Basin

•NDVI trend is climate-reliant in rangeland and water allocation system in farmland.•There was a notable ADL recovery and shrink of the sandy area in the middle reach.•Extreme climate and water resource scarcity hinder ADL reversal in the lower reach.•Both natural and anthropogenic factors determine ADL status and severity patterns.•Watershed protection projects were notably effective in the middle-reach region.