Magical Ordos reaps rewards from new relationship with surrounding deserts

In the zones

In Ordos, the environmental issue is closely related to agricultural development, the countryside construction and farmers’ well-being, according to the mayor.

“We have divided the land into three types of zones: priority development, limited development and prohibitive development,” he said.

“By relocating farmers and keeping much of the massive grassland at rest, local authorities go all out to reduce the damage to the environment and relieve environmental pressure,” he added.

Since 2005, more than 400,000 herdsmen have been relocated and 22,300 sq km ecological restoration zones have been established, which account for more than a quarter of Ordos’ total area.

A series of key national environmental programs implemented in the region, including the Three North Regions Shelterbelts, as well as an array of projects initiated by the Ordos government to green the deserts and restore the ecosystem, have contributed to the improved environment.

Due to the afforestation efforts, new forests have expanded by 1.58 million hectares since 2000.

The environmental degradation is deeply rooted in the backward agricultural production and farm operating models previously prevailing in the region, Gong said.

To turn the situation around, the government was encouraging innovation in production, promoting rotational grazing and calling for a resource-efficient growth model for modern agriculture.

Traditional farming, which is mostly subject to the weather, is being replaced with modern management and facilities in Ordos.

Some people who are aware of the hazards of the desert have yet to realize that it can also be a resource to profit from, unlike renowned scientist Qian Xuesen who proposed a theory on the sand industry in 1984.

“Over years of practicing the theory, we have increasingly recognized that the desert can endanger humans yet at the same time, it can serve as a natural resource to tap into green energy,” Gong said.

A growing number of local entrepreneurs have invested in the industry. They have created sand industrial centers covering a total of more than 1.73 million hectares, which produce 150,000 cubic meters of chipboard annually, 150,000 metric tons of sea buckthorn juice, vinegar and soy sauce, and 12 million tons of traditional Chinese medicine.

Of the local companies, two have joined the ranks of industrial leaders nationally and 14 are leading players in industry in Inner Mongolia.

Under government support, private businesses are becoming an increasingly active force in the sand industry, following an influx of capital, technology and labor flowing into the sector.