A view of a lake lying in the Kubuqi Desert in the area administered by Ordos city. [Photo/Ordos Media Center]

Adhering to the national environmental concept that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets," the city of Ordos in North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region is said to have made great efforts to protect its ecosystem and environment while developing its economy.

Over the past decade, Ordos successively implemented key national projects such as Beijing-Tianjin sandstorm source control, natural forest protection, returning farmland to forests and grasslands and grassland ecological restoration and management.

Now it's said, the diligent and continuous green efforts made by Ordos have finally paid off.

By the end of 2021, Ordos had established 16.74 million mu (1.12 million hectares) of forests and 42.16 million mu of grassland in total.

A total of 140 million trees were planted through voluntary tree-planting activities.

A flock of birds takes wing over the wetlands in Ordos city. [Photo/Ordos Media Center]

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012, the forest coverage rate and forest resource area in Ordos have increased from 25.06 percent and 32.67 million mu to 27.41 percent and 35.72 million mu, respectively -- an increase of 2.35 percentage points and 3.06 million mu.

Meanwhile, the comprehensive vegetation coverage of grassland in the areas administered by the city has remained at about 50 percent.

In addition to the ecological benefits, the green efforts have brought commercial gains for Ordos' people and enterprises.

Since 2012, the total output value of industries related to forest and sand in the city has reached 4.5 billion yuan in total.

Moreover, the city has more than 80 desert control and afforestation-related enterprises.

Of these, 14 are leading enterprises in forestry industrialization above the autonomous regional level, helping to increase the incomes of estimated 300,000 farmers.

During the same period, 38 forestry professional cooperatives were established and a total of 505 family forest farms were developed.

The once-barren Mu Us sandy land in Ordos city is now lush and green. [Photo/Ordos Media Center]