MONTREAL, Canada — For decades, the Kubuqi Desert in China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region brought shifting sands, scarce vegetation and economic hardship to surrounding communities. Overgrazing had degraded much of the landscape, while sandstorms disrupted travel and agriculture. Reporting in 2017 described roughly 740,000 people living in the wider region and documented how restoration efforts were changing local livelihoods.
Turning a Threat Into a Livelihood
Beginning in 1988, Elion Resources Group worked with local authorities and residents to restore degraded land and develop businesses linked to the project. By 2017, reporting described about one-third of the Kubuqi Desert as greened. A 2017 assessment publicized during a United Nations desertification conference attributed the restoration initiative with helping more than 100,000 people escape poverty and generating more than one million jobs. These are reported cumulative project estimates, not counts that this article independently verified.
How the Model Was Built
Elion initially built a road to transport salt from its desert operations. When drifting sand threatened the road, restoring vegetation became a business necessity. Local residents were paid to plant trees and shrubs, and the company later offered incentives tied to plant survival. Workers developed a technique for planting drought-tolerant willow using high-pressure water jets, reportedly reducing the time needed for each seedling from about 10 minutes to 10 seconds.
Restoration also created opportunities beyond planting. Tourism brought visitors to hotels, restaurants and desert attractions. Farmers cultivated licorice, valued in traditional Chinese medicine, while solar installations generated electricity and additional employment. In a 2017 TIME interview, farmer Wu Zhi Hua reported earning 6,000 yuan a month from licorice, about 50% more than her son earned mining coal near Ordos. Her experience illustrates a possible livelihood benefit, not a typical income for every farmer.
Measuring the Return
A January 2024 Asian Development Bank analysis estimated that Kubuqi restoration cost about 1.81 billion yuan between 2000 and 2020 and generated ecological benefits valued at approximately 22.5 billion yuan. That implies a benefit-cost ratio of about 12 to 1. Crucially, the estimate values ecosystem services; it does not mean that the project returned 12 yuan in cash to residents or investors for every yuan spent. The analysis highlights the potential value of combining ecological restoration, private investment and public incentives.
A Voice From the Ground
Bao Yan, a former herder who now works on restoration near Ordos, described the transition in a July 28, 2026, telephone interview with The Borgen Project, paraphrased from Mandarin. He said that drought had made it increasingly difficult for his family to keep sheep and goats, while paid planting work offered another source of income. “Eventually the planting work became steadier income than herding ever was,” he said.
Still, Bao Yan explained that seasonal workers do not always share the income security of full-time company employees. “During planting season, yes, it’s good money. Off-season, I still need other work,” he said. His account adds an important qualification to the project’s reported achievements: more livelihood opportunities do not necessarily mean stable, year-round earnings for all workers.
Can the Model Be Replicated?
Kubuqi has attracted international attention. The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification recognized Elion’s work with a Global Dryland Champion Award, while visitors from Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have studied the region’s restoration methods. But Kubuqi’s experience is not a universal blueprint. It involves land that had previously supported vegetation, and experts caution that restoration strategies must account for local soils, water availability and livelihoods.
Looking Ahead
The Kubuqi project offers a practical example of how restoring degraded land can support jobs, farming, renewable energy and local businesses. Historical project assessments report substantial poverty-related gains, although they should be read as estimates from a specific period rather than proof that hardship has disappeared. As Bao Yan’s account suggests, expanding stable opportunities for seasonal workers remains an important part of making those gains more inclusive. The long-term lesson is that environmental restoration works best for poverty reduction when residents share in its economic benefits.
– Estelle Aubry
Estelle is based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada and focuses on Global Health and Politics for The Borgen Project.
Photo: Flickr