From yellow sands to a 'sea of blue': Technology powers Kubuqi's green transformation

In Dalad Banner, Ordos City, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, rows upon rows of blue photovoltaic panels stretch as far as the eye can see, tracking the sun like a herd of horses poised for action. Beneath the panels, desert vegetation is flourishing, helping to hold back the shifting sands. Once swept by vast expanses of yellow sand, the desert is now exploring a development path that integrates renewable energy, ecological restoration and increased incomes for local communities.

This transformation from yellow sands to a "sea of blue" is not the result of any single effort, but of the combined forces of policy guidance, technological innovation and grassroots practice. At first, photovoltaic power stations were built simply to generate electricity. But as the projects developed, people gradually discovered that the panels could also improve the microclimate in the desert and promote vegetation recovery.

Sui Limin, head of a photovoltaic power station in Dalad Banner, has witnessed the overcoming of a series of challenges through his daily inspections, from installing piles in shifting sands and controlling wind erosion to developing smart operation and maintenance systems. Meanwhile, local farmers and herders involved in planting beneath the panels have moved beyond the days of living alongside the relentless wind and sand, and are now building a sustainable livelihood through ecological development.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has emphasized the need to "pursue a model of sustainable development featuring increased production, higher living standards, and healthy ecosystems." The transition from simply generating electricity to an integrated model of "photovoltaics + desertification control + industry" shows that poverty reduction is not about defeating nature, but about using technology to achieve harmonious coexistence between people and nature, and between people and industries.

Looking ahead, China's experience in combating desertification is reaching an increasingly wider global audience, as China works with countries around the world to create more development miracles in which deserts are transformed into green oases.