Begun 30 years ago, the Kubuqi desert greening project has succeeded in not only controlling the fast growth of the seventh-largest desert in China, about the size of Kuwait, but also turning about 6, 000 square kilometers of the desert — one-third of it — green.
The desert lies about 800 kilometers to the west of Beijing in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region (自治区) and the greening efforts have also controlled desertification (沙漠化) in the rest of the area.
The project, which began about 30 years ago, can be looked to as an example of efforts to advance green development, in order to create harmony between humans and nature, and leave a better environment for future generations.
The success of the project, which has been praised by the UN Environment Programme as an "eco-pioneer", sets an example for successful desertification control and ecosystem improvement based on effective government policies, supported by investment (投资) in the eco industry and combined with the efforts of local farmers. These three aspects are key to the success of the "Kubuqi model".
Elion, a private ecology (生态) and investment company, has invested about 38 billion yuan ($5. 82 billion) in the Kubuqi desert-greening project since 1988 helping to lift about 102, 000 local farmers out of poverty. For example, the locals grow a drought-tolerant (耐旱) plant, Chinese licorice, which is the most used herb in traditional Chinese medicine. The plant helps enrich the desert soil, with the bacteria around the roots of the plants producing nitrogen (氮气) . Besides, Cistanche, another type of drought-tolerant herb, was introduced after the successful planting of licorice. Under the company's guidance and with the local government's support, the local people benefit from the "environmental wealth".
More companies should be encouraged to apply the "Kubuqi model" in other desert control projects in Inner Mongolia and neighboring Gansu province, where the climate conditions are similar but not quite the same, so as to further gain experience and enrich the model in practice. Showing it can be successfully applied in other areas will help promote the model worldwide.
