A machinery loads straws used to make straw checkerboard barriers for sand control at Ulan Buh Desert in Alxa League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, on Feb. 28, 2026.

The Alxa league's sand prevention and control project of this year was launched on Saturday at Ulan Buh Desert, the eighth-largest in China.

Located in a key sand-control zone in northern China, Alxa League has implemented integrated sand-control measures combining engineering-based sand stabilization, biological treatment and ecosystems building. Over the past four decades, Alxa League has carried out sand prevention and control across nearly 100 million mu (6.67 million hectares) and will continue to contribute to building an ecological security barrier in northern China. (Xinhua/Bei He)

Workers pave straw checkerboard barriers on sand in Ulan Buh Desert in Alxa League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, on Feb. 28, 2026.

The Alxa league's sand prevention and control project of this year was launched on Saturday at Ulan Buh Desert, the eighth-largest in China.

Located in a key sand-control zone in northern China, Alxa League has implemented integrated sand-control measures combining engineering-based sand stabilization, biological treatment and ecosystems building. Over the past four decades, Alxa League has carried out sand prevention and control across nearly 100 million mu (6.67 million hectares) and will continue to contribute to building an ecological security barrier in northern China. (Xinhua/Bei He)

A worker drives a machinery working on sand control at Ulan Buh Desert in Alxa League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, on Feb. 28, 2026.

The Alxa league's sand prevention and control project of this year was launched on Saturday at Ulan Buh Desert, the eighth-largest in China.

Located in a key sand-control zone in northern China, Alxa League has implemented integrated sand-control measures combining engineering-based sand stabilization, biological treatment and ecosystems building. Over the past four decades, Alxa League has carried out sand prevention and control across nearly 100 million mu (6.67 million hectares) and will continue to contribute to building an ecological security barrier in northern China. (Xinhua/Bei He)

An aerial drone photo shows drones carrying straws used to make straw checkerboard barriers for sand control at Ulan Buh Desert in Alxa League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, on Feb. 28, 2026.

The Alxa league's sand prevention and control project of this year was launched on Saturday at Ulan Buh Desert, the eighth-largest in China.

Located in a key sand-control zone in northern China, Alxa League has implemented integrated sand-control measures combining engineering-based sand stabilization, biological treatment and ecosystems building. Over the past four decades, Alxa League has carried out sand prevention and control across nearly 100 million mu (6.67 million hectares) and will continue to contribute to building an ecological security barrier in northern China. (Xinhua/Bei He)

A worker receives straws from a drone, which are used to make straw checkerboard barriers for sand control, at Ulan Buh Desert in Alxa League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, on Feb. 28, 2026.

The Alxa league's sand prevention and control project of this year was launched on Saturday at Ulan Buh Desert, the eighth-largest in China.

Located in a key sand-control zone in northern China, Alxa League has implemented integrated sand-control measures combining engineering-based sand stabilization, biological treatment and ecosystems building. Over the past four decades, Alxa League has carried out sand prevention and control across nearly 100 million mu (6.67 million hectares) and will continue to contribute to building an ecological security barrier in northern China. (Xinhua/Bei He)

Workers pave straw checkerboard barriers on sand in Ulan Buh Desert in Alxa League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, on Feb. 28, 2026.

The Alxa league's sand prevention and control project of this year was launched on Saturday at Ulan Buh Desert, the eighth-largest in China.

Located in a key sand-control zone in northern China, Alxa League has implemented integrated sand-control measures combining engineering-based sand stabilization, biological treatment and ecosystems building. Over the past four decades, Alxa League has carried out sand prevention and control across nearly 100 million mu (6.67 million hectares) and will continue to contribute to building an ecological security barrier in northern China. (Xinhua/Bei He)

An aerial drone photo shows a drone carrying straws used to make straw checkerboard barriers for sand control at Ulan Buh Desert in Alxa League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, on Feb. 28, 2026.

The Alxa league's sand prevention and control project of this year was launched on Saturday at Ulan Buh Desert, the eighth-largest in China.

Located in a key sand-control zone in northern China, Alxa League has implemented integrated sand-control measures combining engineering-based sand stabilization, biological treatment and ecosystems building. Over the past four decades, Alxa League has carried out sand prevention and control across nearly 100 million mu (6.67 million hectares) and will continue to contribute to building an ecological security barrier in northern China. (Xinhua/Bei He)