[Objective] This paper aimed to elucidate the feasibility of using municipal wastewater as the sources of water and fertilizer for the growth of cultivated plant, in order to combating desertification and purifying the pollutants in the taste water. [Methods] Extremely shallow subsurface flow constructed wetlands (SSFCWs) were used to cultivate plants. In the wetlands, fine sand was selected as the substrate. Plants had Festuca arundinacea, Lolium perenne, Cynodon dactylon, Phragmites australis and Typha orientalis. [Results] After four months' cultivation using waste water in the wetlands, some indices differed significantly with that of original sand(p<0.05). For example, fine sand bulk density reduced by 20%~23%; organic matter increased over 3.9 times; available P, pH value, electrical conductivity and porosity increased by 16%~103%, 3%~5%, 1.7~2.6 times and 16%~25%, respectively. No significant differences of available N, total phosphorus among the original fine sand and substrates of different SSFCWs(p>0.05). [Conclusion] As significant improvements in nutrient contents and physi-chemical characteristics of fine sand were observed, the result demonstrated that it is feasible to restore desertification land using the extremely SSFCWs. It indicated that F. arundinacea and L. perenne could be used as the preferential plants for combating desertification.