Struggling against encroaching deserts in China
Blades of grass grow through dried up farm land in Minqin County. Villagers bury straw and wood in the dune to stop them
moving. Over-farming in the area has drawn down the water table so low that desert is overtaking farmland. China today
said it was winning the struggle against encroaching deserts, with the threat to vulnerable land steadily decreasing
over the past decade. Desert coverage has been falling about 1,200 square/km each year for the past 6 years.