Chifeng offers global insights on land rehabilitation

China's experiences of grassland ecosystem restoration and desertification control in regions, such as Chifeng, North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, have provided important insights for global land rehabilitation and grassland ecosystem protection, international experts said at a conference held in Chifeng.

They noted that the country's achievements in the practice of desertification prevention, relevant scientific research, and the application of technologies, such as artificial intelligence and multi-source remote sensing, are worthy of study by the international community.

Held from Sunday to Tuesday, the event coincided with the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought and brought together scholars and experts from countries, including China, South Africa, Japan, and the Netherlands. Participants engaged in interdisciplinary and cross-regional dialogues to explore innovative approaches to grassland protection and comprehensive desertification prevention, aiming to contribute scientific solutions for land degradation management, ecological civilization building, and global sustainable development.

The event was organized by the School of Design at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, the Inner Mongolia Research Institute of the university, and the desert scientific exploration committee of the China Association for Scientific Expedition.

"Desertification is a complex issue involving human-environment interactions. Effective management requires integrating ecological restoration with innovation in social mechanisms. The ecological restoration practices in Inner Mongolia, as well as China at large, can serve as important references for global desert management," Michael Meadows, former president of the International Geographical Union and a professor at the University of Cape Town in South Africa, said.

During the event, experts visited the Horqin Sandy Land for field studies, observing novel sand control models, such as building roads first, then stabilizing the sand, and developing industries simultaneously.

They also toured a national cold and arid apple and pear breeding base in Chifeng, which houses over 90 varieties of economic forest resources. In a newly introduced cherry experimental field, experts discussed the introduction and collection of superior local varieties with the institute's employees.

Such field studies exhibited Chifeng's innovative practices in sand control and seed breeding, providing valuable references for regional ecological management and the high-quality development of the forestry and grassland industry, said the experts.