China Desert Greening Lifted 100,000 From Poverty

For decades, the Kubuqi Desert in Inner Mongolia brought only sandstorms and hardship to the 740,000 people living nearby. Overgrazing had stripped the land bare, leaving families with few ways to earn a living.

Then in 1988, a company building a road through the desert faced a problem: drifting sand kept burying it. Instead of fighting the sand, they hired local residents to plant trees and shrubs to hold it in place.

That simple solution grew into something much bigger. By 2017, workers had restored about one-third of the Kubuqi Desert, creating more than one million jobs in the process.

The real breakthrough came when workers figured out how to plant drought-resistant willows using water jets. What once took 10 minutes per seedling now took just 10 seconds, making large-scale restoration actually possible.

Former herder Bao Yan watched his sheep struggle through worsening droughts before switching to planting work. "Eventually the planting work became steadier income than herding ever was," he explained in a recent interview.

The green desert created unexpected opportunities. Tourists now visit desert hotels and restaurants, while farmers grow licorice for traditional medicine. Farmer Wu Zhi Hua reported earning 6,000 yuan monthly from licorice, about 50% more than her son made mining coal.

Solar panels now cover parts of the restored land, generating electricity and more jobs. The combination of farming, tourism, and renewable energy turned a barren landscape into an economic engine.

A 2024 analysis found the project cost about 1.81 billion yuan but generated ecological benefits valued at 22.5 billion yuan. That's a 12-to-1 return, though those benefits include cleaner air and water, not just cash income.

The United Nations recognized the project with a Global Dryland Champion Award. Officials from Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have visited to study the restoration methods for their own deserts.

The Ripple Effect

The Kubuqi transformation proves that environmental restoration and poverty reduction can work together. When local people get hired for planting work, earn income from restored farmland, and build businesses serving eco-tourists, everyone benefits.

Bao Yan notes that seasonal planting work doesn't always provide year-round stability. "During planting season, yes, it's good money. Off-season, I still need other work," he said, reminding us that progress continues.

But the core lesson is powerful: damaged land can heal, and when it does, the people living there can thrive alongside it.