(ZOU JIANPU)

Fengshuiliang Town, which was built in the Kubuqi Desert in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, has grown itself into an island of green amongst the sands.

Kubuqi is the country's seventh biggest desert and suffers from frequent sandstorms and droughts.

With support of the local government and enterprises, the Kubuqi Desert, which used to be barren and sandstorm-stricken, is expected to become a green oasis.

Researchers will evaluate the desert's ecology and try to spread successful desert control initiatives to other countries, according to the United Nations Environment Programme.