The Badain Jaran Desert. [Photo/Inner Mongolia Daily]

The Badain Jaran Desert, the third-largest desert in China, covers a total area of 49,200 square kilometers. Located within Alshaa League in North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, it sprawls across half of the territory of Alshaa Right Banner.

In 2002, Alshaa Right Banner implemented a project to reduce grazing and restore local grasslands. Severe desertification areas were completely banned from grazing and put under protective measures, while the remaining areas saw a balance between grazing and grasslands.

In 2005, compensation for the ecological benefits of public forests was implemented, and comprehensive grazing bans were enforced in four towns and 19 villages where public forests were concentrated.

The implementation of these two policies has changed the previous state of overgrazing and promoted the restoration of native vegetation communities, gradually restoring the ecological functions of the grasslands.

The haloxylon ammondendron forest acts as a green barrier, preventing the desert from expanding eastward and encroaching further south. [Photo/Inner Mongolia Daily]

Subsequently, projects such as the Three-North Shelter Forest Program and the comprehensive management of western desertification were successively implemented.

Up to now, the Alshaa Right Banner has completed a total of 86,300 hectares of afforestation, 30,500 hectares of sand-fixing afforestation, 26,000 hectares of cloud seeding, and 2,893.33 hectares of engineering sand fixation in the Badain Jaran and Tengger deserts.

Furthermore, three national protected areas for desertified land have been established along the edge of the Badain Jaran Desert, with a total area of 30,000 hectares, ensuring the comprehensive protection of forest and grassland vegetation.

The Alshaa Right Banner's efforts have led to a green breakthrough in the Badain Jaran Desert, transforming this once desolate landscape into an oasis of life and contributing to the preservation of China's precious ecosystems.