On the edge of the Ulan Buh Desert in north China, rows of photovoltaic panels shine in the sun. Masses of plants can be seen growing beneath and between them in summer. This new "photovoltaic plus ecological governance" project is transforming the appearance of this arid landscape, adding vivid blues and greens to the yellow desert sand.

"The panels take in the sunlight, which helps reduce evaporation from the sand and foster a favorable environment for desert plants like saxaul trees. This helps mitigate the flow of wind and sand," said Zheng Qian, head of an ecological company implementing the project in Dengkou County, in the city of Bayannur, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

The height of the panels and space between them has also been increased to provide enough room for the plants to grow, Zheng said.

The project is expected to generate 1.65 billion kilowatt-hours of power annually once it is put into operation, with an annual output value of 467 million yuan (65.69 million U.S. dollars). It will also cut carbon emissions by 1.72 million tonnes and save 672,700 tonnes of coal every year. The project, covering around 26,000 mu (1,733 hectares), has created over 4,000 jobs during the construction phase.

Dengkou had only about 50,000 trees in 1949, while 77 percent of its area was desert. Over the past several decades, a total of 2.1 million mu of land has been afforested.

Inner Mongolia, the largest and most diverse ecological functional area in northern China, serves as the country's key line of defense against sandstorms.

In recent years, Inner Mongolia has advanced the integrated development of desertification prevention and new-energy development. Thanks to such efforts, a total of 2.3 million mu of desertified land is expected to be treated, and new-energy equipment with a capacity of 27.27 million kilowatts will be installed this year.

In Shaya County, Aksu Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, a photovoltaic company has figured out a way to collect water with photovoltaic power, which will help clean the photovoltaic panels and nurture the desert plants.

Located on the northern edge of the Taklamakan Desert, the largest desert in China, Shaya faces a challenge in developing the photovoltaic industry.

Installing panels in the desert requires the regular removal of dust, which can accumulate to several centimeters thick, said Wang Zhijun, head of the desertification control project of the photovoltaic company. The vegetation beneath the panels also needs water.

Researchers have found that the desert holds significant underground water resources. Although the water is highly saline, it can be used to irrigate desert and salt-tolerant plants.

The company decided to use photovoltaic power to pump water. A photovoltaic-powered pump well can irrigate 2,000 mu of land at a construction cost of 215,000 yuan. Compared with an electrical pump well irrigating the same land area, such a pump well is expected to save 133,000 yuan in the first year and 160,000 yuan annually from the second year.

Photovoltaic forestation primarily involves saxaul and red willow trees. Some companies are seeking to collaborate with photovoltaic companies to inoculate the roots of saxaul trees with Cistanche deserticola, a Chinese herbal medicine, for the production of health products and Chinese liquor.

In Aksu, plans for this year include piloting photovoltaic forestation with Cistanche deserticola, expanding Cistanche deserticola cultivation by 20,000 mu and establishing a seed production base.

With advancements in science and innovation, photovoltaic desertification control is emerging as a promising approach to managing desertification.