Poverty alleviation: Greening the desert for people's wellbeing

A hotel built by ELION [China.org.cn]

Drawing on the inspiration, ELION invented a special water nozzle, which uses high pressure water to instantly drill a hole into the desert, and allows for precise control of the depth of the hole. With the help of this powerful tool, tree saplings can be grown at one meter deep underground, well protected from the risk of being eroded away by moving sand, even without being surrounded by grids. This revolutionary technique proves to be highly cost-efficient.

New technological breakthroughs are made one after another, such as the use of spiral drills to punch holes in areas with water shortage, aerial seeding before the rainy season, and afforestation on windward slopes to borrow the wind power for reducing the sands and enabling the trees to grow better. Over the years, ELION has developed over 20 new technologies and cultivated more than 1,000 types of cold-resistant, drought-enduring and saline-tolerant plant seeds. While combating desertification, ELION also gains profits by outsourcing technologies and plants seeds. An improved species of licorice, for example, not only helps to control a sand area of over 10 square meters, but also makes an organic planting field following three to five years of cultivation, increasing its value by dozens of times after further processing.

With the dual advantages of desertification control and profit generation, ELION has begun to promote its green industry pattern, which works in this way: Elion provides seedlings and technical support, and handles purchase of products, while local farmers and herdsmen set up cooperatives to work with ELION. Within a few years, over 700 local cooperatives have been established and the planting areas of licorice alone reached about 360,000 acres.

In the process of combating desertification, ELION has found new business opportunities, and has now built up a comprehensive sand economy system worth over RMB 30 billion based on six eco-industry sectors ranging from husbandry to desert tourism, and pharmacy to photovoltaic power generation.

As one of the first industrial workers during the transformation process, Chen Ningbu has transferred to ELION the right of using his uncultivated sand land, and has become employed by the group, making an income of nearly RMB 100,000 a year from these two sources. The 100,000 poverty-stricken farmers and herdsmen living around the Kubuqi Desert area also have the opportunities to be engaged in a wide range of eco-driven industries, making an average annual income of RMB 14,000.

With almost 60% of its area being improved, the Kubuqi Desert has become a textbook model for desertification control in the international community. Following the footprints of ELION, over 100 devoted teams have undertaken ecological restoration programs in Xinjiang, Gansu and other regions.

A sustainable development is a development with an emphasis on environmental improvement. It has taken Elion Resources Group 28 years to transform the Kubuqi Desert from the "Sea of Death" to the "Green Economy Oasis", bringing better environment and more financial benefits to the local communities and residents. The successful practice proves that right strategies and perseverant efforts are what matter in turning the vast expanse of sand into wealth and fortune along with a greener environment.