HANGJIN BANNER, CHINA - MAY 5: (CHINA OUT) A villager plants trees to try and keep the sand from shifting to other areas in the Hobq Desert on May 5, 2006 in Hangjin Banner (County) of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, northern China. China's sand deserts cover an area of about 684,000 square kilometers, including 446,000 square kilometers of shifting deserts. Desertification in some western and northern regions has accelerated in recent years due to drastic water shortage, destruction of grassland resources, pollution and other reasons, according to state media. (Photo by China Photos/Getty Images)
