Fixing the sands

After reclaiming farmland in Fengzhuang town of Pengyang county in Ningxia Hui autonomous region, the once barren mountains are transformed into a beautiful scene of green slopes. YANG JUHUI/FOR CHINA DAILY China, one of the countries with the severest desertification, has made significant progress in curbing the expansion of deserts after decades of relentless efforts, taking the lead globally to achieve zero-growth in land degradation and become the largest contributor to global afforestation, according to China's National Forestry and Grassland Administration. CHINA DAILY Innovative solutions In the face of its severe desertification challenge, China has consistently emphasized technology-driven green development over the past few decades and explored various models of desertification control. To prevent traffic arteries and newly planted grasses and trees from being quickly engulfed by moving dunes, the "straw checkerboards" — a dune fixation technique in which straw is placed on the desert surface in the shape of a checkerboard — were applied more than 60 years ago in Zhongwei, a city near the Tengger Desert in Northwest China's Ningxia Hui autonomous region. In August 2023, China held the ninth Kubuqi International Desert Forum in Inner Mongolia, with an aim to deepen international cooperation on desertification prevention and control driven by science and technology.