Herdsmen enact erosion control measures in Otog Front Banner

Wuliji Delige, a herdsman from Otog Front Banner, has spent decades combating desertification in local areas.

Wuliji’s village is on the northern edge of Maowusu, a sandy and barren region with scattered vegetation. In 1972, Wuliji, newly married, gathered his family and began planting trees without any agricultural machinery and relying only on manpower and livestock for transportation. Wuliji works hard to uphold his belief that a well-rounded ecological system will encourage not only better pastures but also improved lives for all.

After more than 40 years of work, Wuliji and his family have planted trees to control the spread of sand across nearly 466,600 hectares. Many local herdsmen were inspired by Wuliji’s efforts and also began attempting to control desertification. As a result, the local ecology has seen gradual improvement.

Wuliji Delige (right) and his wife plant pine trees in Bayanwusu village, Angsu town, Otog Front Banner, Ordos, Inner Mongolia autonomous region on April 26. [Photo/Xinhua]

An aerial view of trees planted near Wuliji’s village on April 28. [Photo/Xinhua]

Wuliji prepares pipes for watering his pine trees on April 26. [Photo/Xinhua]