Wushen banner in N China's Inner Mongolia turns Maowusu Desert green through continuous, targeted efforts

An area of the Maowusu Desert, a major desert in China, is dotted with green vegetation. (People's Daily Online/Ouyang Yijia)

Thanks to continuing efforts to fight desertification, Wushen banner of Erdos city, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, has made great strides in improving its ecological environment.

In 1949, when the People's Republic of China was founded, 40 percent of Wushen banner's total area suffered from severe desertification. Today, the banner's forest coverage and vegetation coverage have reached 32.92 percent and 80 percent, respectively, according to Lyu Qi, head of the forestry and grassland bureau of Wushen banner.

Located in the hinterlands of the Maowusu Desert, a major desert in China, Wushen banner has persisted with a holistic and systematic approach to conserving and improving mountain, water, forest, farmland, grassland, and desert ecosystems in recent years.

In a demonstration site within the desert, relevant authorities of Wushen banner have used six different types of materials, including salix cheilophila branches, grass ropes and other biodegradable materials, to build sand barriers flanking the roads. These barriers of diverse styles have formed a beautiful scenic corridor.

Wushen banner has completed ecological construction on 480,000 mu (32,000 hectares) of land, an increase of 13.02 percent over last year.