The New York Times Lens blog has posted a slideshow of desertification in China:
[Sean] Gallagher traveled to the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in northern China to document the rapid advance of its deserts. The sandstorm offered a visual feast for a young photographer. For the residents, however, it was an all-too-common occurrence. Sandstorms have forced the relocation of 200,000 people to Hongsibao, a new city built from scratch by the government. “China spent vast amounts of money on this environmental refugee town that I photographed, on a massive relocation project and on trying to reclaim the land,” Mr. Gallagher said. “The problem is that — because of the size of China — the issue is so vast. Even for an organization like the Chinese Communist Party, it’s a big project.”
