Minqin Desertification: China’s Global Model for Ecological Resilience”

by Fatmata Salma Kargbo

Introduction

In the heart of China’s Gansu Province lies Minqin County, once on the verge of being buried by two vast deserts, the Tengger and Badain Jaran. For decades, sand, drought, and wind threatened to erase an entire community. But today, Minqin is known not for despair, but for hope.

In July 2025, I visited Minqin as part of a student field trip. At first glance, it looked like a place on the edge of survival. What I saw was extraordinary; not a story of defeat, but of resilience and ingenuity. For me, as a graduate student from Sierra Leone, the lessons felt deeply personal. My country, despite being blessed with rivers and rainfall, still struggles with water scarcity, deforestation, and land degradation. Minqin’s journey shows that even in the harshest environments, nature can be restored when people refuse to give up.

From the Hongyashan Reservoir, the Wind and Sand Line of Qingtu Lake, to the restored Qingtu Lake and the Desertification Prevention Memorial Hall, Minqin County has transformed from a near ecological collapse into a living model of how to fight desertification. What Minqin has achieved in one of the driest parts of the world offers inspiration and guidance for Sierra Leone and beyond. Our combined interest in the distinct problems and creative solutions being investigated in this crucial area sparked our interest as representatives of our different colleges and countries.

Teachers and students of China Agriculture University (CAU

The Pearl of the Desert  

Our journey began at the Hongyashan Reservoir, Asia’s largest desert reservoir and the lifeline of  Minqin. The locals call it the "Desert Oasis" or the "Pearl of the Desert".  Built in the 1960s, it was designed to irrigate farmland, supply drinking water, and slow desert encroachment. Without it, the Minqin Oasis, home to more than 200,000 people, would have vanished. It was designed to irrigate over 40,000 hectares of farmland, serve drinking and industrial uses, and slow the progress of encroaching sands.

But this “Pearl of the Desert” has faced its own battles. With rainfall averaging just 115 millimeters a year, while evaporation exceeds 2,600 mm, the reservoir has constantly fought to survive. By the early 2000s, inflows from its main source, the Shiyang River, had nearly dried up.

The solution was bold; water was diverted hundreds of kilometers from the Yellow River, coupled with modern irrigation technologies through the Water Diversion Project. Since 2010, this artificial lifeline has kept the reservoir alive. For the people of Minqin, it represents more than water, which symbolizes hope.

The Hongyashan Reservoir represents more than an engineering feat; it stands as a symbol of human imagination and adaptability in one of the harshest environments on Earth. It supports farms, supplies drinking water, and helps combat desertification. Although it provides for some minor fisheries and eco-tourism, its aim remains life for the oasis, and for the people that depend on it. The "Pearl of the Desert" may not dazzle tourists or wealth, but it is priceless. And serve as a living reminder that in the world's driest places, water is not just life, it is hope. It’s not just a reservoir; it’s a promise that shows ingenuity, cooperation, and care, that even in the most hostile regions, life can be sustained.

Fighting Sand with Straw, Shrubs, and Grit

Water alone was not enough; the locals also had to find ways to tame the sands themselves. At the far end of Minqin County, a quiet but powerful battle is being fought not with bullets or bombs, but with straw, shrubs, and human resolve. This is the most fascinating method I witnessed: the straw checkerboard. Farmers and volunteers lay straw in neat patterns across dunes, stabilizing loose sand. Drought-resistant shrubs and windbreaks are then added, turning shifting sands into green patches.

The Qingtu Lake Ecological Barrier Protection Project is not just an ecological project; it is a lifeline for a lake teetering between being drastically decertified or repaired. Beyond water, Minqin became famous for its ingenious sand control methods. This simple yet powerful method gave new life to places like Qingtu Lake, once nearly lost to drought. Today, it is a sanctuary for migrating birds and a natural shield against sandstorms.

One thing that lingers in my memory is the straw on the sands laid out in such obvious patterns, a simple yet clever method. As I stood there, I understood this work would require much more than technical skills; it required tenacity, patriotism, and deep regard for the land. This created a new understanding of the courage required to work under such extreme environmental conditions.

A Living Legacy of Desertification Control

Perhaps the most powerful symbol of this long fight is the Minqin Desertification Prevention and Control Memorial Hall, opened in 2021. It tells the stories of farmers, scientists, and local leaders who refused to abandon their homeland. The hall is a museum dedicated not to war or politics, but to the decades-long fight against nature’s most relentless force, “the desert”.

The hall preserves what locals call the “Spirit of Minqin,” a spirit of resilience, innovation, and collective will. As I walked through, exhibits show the evolution of sand control methods, from traditional straw patterns to modern ecological engineering. Large displays connect the greening of Minqin to the lifeline of the Hongyashan Reservoir and diverted Yellow River water.

The memorial is more than a museum; it is a reminder that the fight against environmental decline is not just technical, but also cultural and generational. It honors the people who chose to stay and rebuild collectively, through sorrow, local stewardship, and making Minqin a national model for China’s vision of an “ecological civilization” and educating future generations.

According to President Xi Jinping, “lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets,” he emphasized that ecological protection remains part of national revival. In his vision, ecological civilization construction is not just about the environment; it also provides the basis for China's sustainable development and the well-being of generations to come. Minqin embodies this idea; with determination, science, and a harmonious relationship with nature, a desert can be turned into green oasis. Minqin is not only a reflection of environmental success, but also a shared message of global responsibility and cooperation for a green future for mankind.

Experts and students at The Hongyashan Reservoir

As a student from Sierra Leone, I saw in Minqin not only China’s story but also a mirror for my own country. Sierra Leone does not face desertification, but we struggle with deforestation, land erosion, and water scarcity.

Despite being richly blessed with rivers and rainfall, Sierra Leone still struggles with inadequate access to water due to weak infrastructure. Integrated water resource developments, such as reservoirs for long-term water security and irrigation systems, would greatly improve water availability, especially in rural areas. Mining districts like Kono and Kambia, where large-scale deforestation and soil erosion occur, can emulate the sand encroachment challenges faced in Minqin. Community-led reforestation programs, such as tree planting in the Western Area Peninsula, could benefit from adopting low-cost techniques like straw checkerboards to stabilize degraded slopes. Similarly, water-scarce towns such as Kabala and Makeni could draw lessons from Minqin’s Hongyashan Reservoir by developing small-scale reservoirs and irrigation systems to secure year-round farming. In coastal regions like Bonthe and Moyamba, where saltwater intrusion threatens rice farming and homes, integrated water management initiatives could emulate Qingtu Lake’s ecological restoration by reviving wetlands, protecting biodiversity, and safeguarding food security.

Beyond infrastructure, Sierra Leone should also strengthen environmental education by recognizing community climate champions and equipping local groups with resources for reforestation, sustainable agriculture, and water management. Blending indigenous agricultural and environmental stewardship practices with modern climate-smart technologies can boost resilience. Additionally, eco-educational centers or storytelling spaces could help conserve traditional ecological knowledge while raising public awareness about the importance of sustainable practices.

Conclusion

Desertification and land degradation are global crises. According to the UN, more than 2 billion people are affected worldwide. These ecological challenges drive hunger, migration, and conflict. Minqin’s story shows us that decline is not destiny. If one of the driest places on Earth can push back the desert, then degraded farms in Africa or drought-hit regions elsewhere can also recover.

Like China, Africa has urgent environmental challenges, spanning from desertification in the Sahel, deforestation in the Congo Basin, soil erosion in East Africa, and water insufficiency. What China refers to as an "ecological civilization," a development model that supports concurrent human development and environmental protection, offers a vision to which Africa can adapt in some form. Niger and Burkina Faso are already implementing local solutions such as the Great Green Wall, emulating Minqin's resilience with consolidated action resulting in the restoration of degraded land. Together, local innovation and lessons from China's ecological civilization model, such as combining modern water management with traditional land use management, represent an opportunity for nations across Africa to create a pathway for a sustainable future that fosters economic development and the provision of sustainable resources. More so, for Sierra Leone, adopting this principle will enable reparations on land impacted by mining, natural restoration of forestry systems, assure water security, while fostering a culture of environmental responsibility across generations.

As I left Minqin, I carried one image with me: reeds swaying in the wind at Qingtu Lake, birds rising above green fields where sand once advanced. It was a reminder that resilience is not only about technology, but about culture, unity, and persistence. The desert may never rest, but neither do the people of Minqin. This story is now a global legacy, a living proof that hope can grow even on the shifting sands.

Fatmata Salma Kargbo is a Sierra Leonean graduate student of International Development, Policy, and Governance at China Agriculture University.