For herder, opportunity sprouts from sand

Dressed in thick coats and hats, the pair would plant small trees in the strong, cold wind before sunrise. Having no watering equipment, they would carry water to each tree individually.

"It was quite difficult because we lacked equipment," she said. "With 10 other households, we'd take the water and water the trees, one by one."

They usually finished planting around 10 pm. Bao Hua said the trees were their hope.

As the years passed, the villagers were delighted to see the saxauls grow taller. In the last 20 years, they have planted about 33,000 hectares of them.

A recent rainfall in Shariin Khudag delighted Bao Hua, who was happy to see the trees turn green again. The rain, which arrived just in time, saved them around 80,000 yuan ($11,500).

"It costs 200,000 yuan each month to pay for water and labor to care for our plantation," she said.

While the trees are good at mitigating the effects of sandstorms, they have little economic value.