Published on: 2026-07-31
Source: People’s Republic of China — Translation
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The city of Ordos, located in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in northern China, after decades of consistent efforts, has created a multi-layered ecological protection system from the northern edge of the Kuzupe Desert to the banks of the Yellow River, successfully preventing the advancement of drifting sands to the north and making an important contribution to ensuring the ecological security of the Yellow River basin.
The total area of the Kuzupchi Desert is 14.1 thousand square kilometers. In the past, mobile sands annually advanced northward at a rate of 10 meters, directly threatening the main channel of the Yellow River and the safety of adjacent agricultural and pasture areas. Since the 1980s, Ordos has begun creating a shelterbelt along the northern edge of the desert by planting drought-resistant shrubs and trees suited to local conditions, as well as employing a range of technical measures, including stabilizing the sands with straw squares, mechanized afforestation, and aerial seeding via drones. This has significantly increased the survival rate of vegetation in arid areas and gradually formed a multi-layered protective barrier from south to north.
Deep in the Kuzupchi desert, in the Hangin-Tsi khoshun, an innovative practice is being implemented that combines clean energy and ecological restoration. Stretching approximately 400 kilometers, the “Great Wall of Solar Panels” has unfolded on golden sands. Large-scale photovoltaic panels not only convert solar energy into “green” electricity but also effectively shade the ground surface, reducing moisture evaporation, while micro-groves favorable for the growth of drought-resistant plants form under the panels. This model not only reduces costs for combating desertification but also serves as a new example of the synergy between the development of renewable energy and ecosystem restoration in desert regions.
At the same time, Ordos is carrying out comprehensive systemic restoration of another important sandy region on its territory—the sandy lands of Maosu. Their total area is 42.2 thousand square kilometers. They extend across three districts—Inner Mongolia, Shaanxi, and Ningxia. For a long time, this region faced complex problems, including the cross-border spread of dust storms and the combined effects of water erosion and soil loss. In response, Ordos implemented comprehensive measures, such as targeted internal regulation, inter-provincial joint prevention and control, and bilateral blocking of wind and sand sources, which effectively contained the expansion of sandy areas. Currently, the restoration level of the Maosu sandy lands has reached 85%. Formerly vast dunes have been transformed into usable pastures, stable agricultural lands, and ecological forested areas.
Thanks to these achievements, Ordos has fully completed the tasks of the sixth phase of the project “protective shelterbelts in three northern regions of China (Northeast, North, and Northwest)”, with the total area of restored land exceeding 46 million mu (about 3.07 million hectares). Today, along the “horseshoe” of the Yellow River, a new ecological landscape is opening up, where golden sands, blue photovoltaic panels, and green plantations harmoniously complement each other.
The city of Ordos intends to continue comprehensive protection and systematic restoration of mountains, waters, forests, fields, pastures, and deserts, consistently strengthening the ecological barrier in northern China and creating a solid ecological foundation for the long-term prosperity of the Yellow River basin.
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