In a statement released as part of the activities for the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, the government acknowledged that China is one of the most severely affected countries.

However, we have achieved significant advances to stop the expansion of the desert by means of a reforestation campaign that has been carried out for decades, the text states.

As an example, the note highlights the results achieved along the Lanzhou-Baotou railway line, the fourth largest in China and bordering the Tengger Desert.

That structure built in 1958 has not only remained in good condition and free of encroaching sand over the decades, it has also helped transform the arid landscape by encouraging the growth of biocrustes and revitalizing a once desolate land, the release notes.

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