Drones transport plant seedlings in Alshaa League's deserts. [Photo/Alshaa League Integrated Media Center]

Alshaa League in North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region has restored more than 100 million mu (6.67 million hectares) of desert through decades of sand control efforts.

This autumn, the region has launched a large-scale afforestation campaign, aiming to plant 560,000 mu of new forest.

At a desert stabilization site in Alshaa Left Banner, over 200 workers were seen planting shrubs across the dunes. "We use drones to transport seedlings, which greatly improves efficiency and precision," said Liu Haijun, deputy general manager of Lanma Ecological Construction Co. "Technology is giving new energy to our greening efforts".

People plant trees in a desert in Alshaa League. [Photo/Alshaa League Integrated Media Center]

To address seasonal labor shortages and low seedling survival rates, Alshaa League expanded its tree-planting efforts from only spring to both spring and autumn. "Autumn planting has shown faster growth and a survival rate of over 75 percent, about five percentage points higher than spring planting," said Tubuxin, director of Alshaa League's forestry and grassland bureau.

Located in a key zone along China's northern ecological defense belt, Alshaa League has significantly curbed desert expansion. Its forest coverage has risen from 2.96 percent to 8.42 percent, and grassland vegetation from less than 15 percent to 23.18 percent. "By restoring over 100 million mu of desert, Alshaa has built a strong ecological barrier safeguarding northern China," Tubuxin said.

People water newly-planted areas in a desertified region of Alshaa League. [Photo/Alshaa League Integrated Media Center]