Magical Ordos reaps rewards from new relationship with surrounding deserts

Shanghaimiao township in Ordos' Otog Front Banner. The township neighboring the Ningxia Hui autonomous region is rich in herbal resources. [Provided to China Daily]

Key industry hub

Elsewhere, experts say frequent and strong winds and intense sunlight in the desert are conducive to developing the new energy sector.

At a new energy industry demonstration zone in Ordos, sprawling solar panels generate power and double up to provide shelter for the grass planted below, which is being used to feed livestock.

The city’s total installed power generating capacity of renewable energy has reached 1.12 million kilowatts, according to the mayor.

In addition, tourism and sports events are other unlikley spin-off benefits of the sand industry.

To date, Ordos is home to more than 20 desert holiday resorts, including the Qixing Lake scenic site, the Xiangshawan attraction that is known for “singing sands” because of the composition of its dunes, and the Engebei tourist destination.

The city’s sand industry generated roughly 4.45 billion yuan ($668 million) in industrial output value in 2016. Local farmers raked in 2,700 yuan in per capita income from the sector, accounting for roughly 17 percent of their total income on average.

In response to the arid and windy climate in Ordos, the city government has turned to technologies to increase the survival rate of young trees. It also promotes drought-enduring plants and technologies, encourages research into various sustainable development modes and has imported advanced technological expertise in desert control.

To motivate local farmers to participate in the environmental efforts, the government has also launched a series of incentives, including a policy that ensures planters’ ownership of their plantations and authorizes them to transfer ownership.

“Lush forests and clean water are a real treasure,” Gong said. “We will continue to protect the environment to make Ordos more appealing.”