Willow and wildlife thrive on eco-boost

The Inner Mongolia autonomous region - home to 40 percent of China's desert land - is one of the areas tasked with combating the process of desertification. The progress made in Ordos, one of the largest cities in the region, has won global recognition as a model of "greening" in the fight against "cancer of the earth".

Last year, 26.7 percent of Ordos was covered by woodland. In 2010, the figure was just 14.54 percent. Moreover, 75 percent of the land was covered by various plants, while seven years ago, the figure was 40 percent.

Wang Huailiang has worked as a forest ranger for 25 years. Speaking at his base at the Alutu Operating Area, one of eight State-run sand-control stations, he explained how different plants are used to control the sand.