China’s straw grids are helping deserts shrink by over 1,000 sq km a year

China's Green Great Wall project has fought desertification for nearly fifty years.

Millions of rural laborers have used straw checkerboards and planted saplings.

This effort has reduced desertified land and increased forest cover significantly.

The program demonstrates a long-term political commitment to environmental restoration.

Sustaining these gains requires continued local involvement and adaptation. ...