Heavy snowfall in Japan

Heavy snowfall in Japan

Photo shows snow-covered Tottori Sand Dunes in Tottori, western Japan, on Jan. 22, 2026.

Rezaabad Desert in Semnan - Iran

Rezaabad Desert in Semnan - Iran

Sand dunes and scattered desert shrubs are seen in Rezaabad desert near Biarjomand, Iran, on April 1, 2025. The desert lies near Khar Turan National Park and has become a regional destination for hiking, off-road driving, and stargazing in northeastern Iran. Photo by Morteza Aminoroayayi/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

Rezaabad Desert in Semnan - Iran

Rezaabad Desert in Semnan - Iran

A car drives through sand dunes in Rezaabad desert near Biarjomand, Iran, on April 1, 2025. The desert lies near Khar Turan National Park and has become a regional destination for hiking, off-road driving, and stargazing in northeastern Iran. Photo by Morteza Aminoroayayi/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

Rezaabad Desert in Semnan - Iran

Rezaabad Desert in Semnan - Iran

A view shows sand dunes and salt-crusted ground in Rezaabad desert near Biarjomand, Iran, on April 1, 2025. The desert lies near Khar Turan National Park and has become a regional destination for hiking, off-road driving, and stargazing in northeastern Iran. Photo by Morteza Aminoroayayi/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

Rezaabad Desert in Semnan - Iran

Rezaabad Desert in Semnan - Iran

People walk on sand dunes in Rezaabad desert near Biarjomand, Iran, on April 1, 2025. The desert lies near Khar Turan National Park and has become a regional destination for hiking, off-road driving, and stargazing in northeastern Iran. Photo by Morteza Aminoroayayi/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

Rezaabad Desert in Semnan - Iran

Rezaabad Desert in Semnan - Iran

People walk on sand dunes in Rezaabad desert near Biarjomand, Iran, on April 1, 2025. The desert lies near Khar Turan National Park and has become a regional destination for hiking, off-road driving, and stargazing in northeastern Iran. Photo by Morteza Aminoroayayi/Middle East Images/ABACAPRESS.COM

Badain Jaran Desert

Badain Jaran Desert

Workers fix sand forest belt on sand dunes on the southwestern edge of Badain Jaran Desert, Zhangye City, Gansu Province, China on November 13, 2025.

Badain Jaran Desert

Badain Jaran Desert

Workers fix sand forest belt on sand dunes on the southwestern edge of Badain Jaran Desert, Zhangye City, Gansu Province, China on November 13, 2025.

Badain Jaran Desert

Badain Jaran Desert

Workers fix sand forest belt on sand dunes on the southwestern edge of Badain Jaran Desert, Zhangye City, Gansu Province, China on November 13, 2025.

Badain Jaran Desert

Badain Jaran Desert

Workers fix sand forest belt on sand dunes on the southwestern edge of Badain Jaran Desert, Zhangye City, Gansu Province, China on November 13, 2025.

Badain Jaran Desert

Badain Jaran Desert

Workers fix sand forest belt on sand dunes on the southwestern edge of Badain Jaran Desert, Zhangye City, Gansu Province, China on November 13, 2025.

Badain Jaran Desert

Badain Jaran Desert

Workers fix sand forest belt on sand dunes on the southwestern edge of Badain Jaran Desert, Zhangye City, Gansu Province, China on November 13, 2025.

Badain Jaran Desert

Badain Jaran Desert

Workers fix sand forest belt on sand dunes on the southwestern edge of Badain Jaran Desert, Zhangye City, Gansu Province, China on November 13, 2025.

Badain Jaran Desert

Badain Jaran Desert

Workers fix sand forest belt on sand dunes on the southwestern edge of Badain Jaran Desert, Zhangye City, Gansu Province, China on November 13, 2025.

Badain Jaran Desert

Badain Jaran Desert

Workers fix sand forest belt on sand dunes on the southwestern edge of Badain Jaran Desert, Zhangye City, Gansu Province, China on November 13, 2025.

Badain Jaran Desert

Badain Jaran Desert

Workers fix sand forest belt on sand dunes on the southwestern edge of Badain Jaran Desert, Zhangye City, Gansu Province, China on November 13, 2025.

Nouakchott City Daily Life - Mauritania

Nouakchott City Daily Life - Mauritania

This photo taken on July 17, 2025 shows sand dunes and the cityscape in Nouakchott, Mauritania. Nouakchott, on the edge of the Sahara Desert, is the capital of Mauritania and its political, economic, and cultural center. Photo by Han Xu/Xinhua/ABACAPRESS.COM

Nouakchott City Daily Life - Mauritania

Nouakchott City Daily Life - Mauritania

An aerial drone photo taken on June 17, 2025 shows sand dunes and the cityscape in Nouakchott, Mauritania. Nouakchott, on the edge of the Sahara Desert, is the capital of Mauritania and its political, economic, and cultural center. Photo by Si Yuan/Xinhua/ABACAPRESS.COM

China: Rare Hailstorm Hits Crescent Lake Desert in Gansu

This video captures a rare hailstorm that hit the desert in Jiuquan, Gansu, on June 8. Hail unexpectedly fell over the Crescent Lake desert, a popular tourist spot known for its arid landscape and iconic sand dunes.

World Exhibition in Osaka

World Exhibition in Osaka

Photo taken on June 2, 2025, shows projection mapping mimicking Tottori Sand Dunes at the Kansai Pavilion section for the western Japan prefecture of Tottori at the World Exposition in Osaka.

Taklamakan Desert Ecological Management

Taklamakan Desert Ecological Management

BAZHOU, CHINA - MAY 22, 2025 - Large-scale machinery is leveling sand dunes in the area of the sand prevention and control project on the northern edge of the Taklimakan Desert in Bayingolin Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang, China on May 22, 2025.

Taklamakan Desert Ecological Management

Taklamakan Desert Ecological Management

BAZHOU, CHINA - MAY 22, 2025 - Large-scale machinery is leveling sand dunes in the area of the sand prevention and control project on the northern edge of the Taklimakan Desert in Bayingolin Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang, China on May 22, 2025.

Taklamakan Desert Ecological Management

Taklamakan Desert Ecological Management

BAZHOU, CHINA - MAY 22, 2025 - Large-scale machinery is leveling sand dunes in the area of the sand prevention and control project on the northern edge of the Taklimakan Desert in Bayingolin Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang, China on May 22, 2025.

Taklamakan Desert Ecological Management

Taklamakan Desert Ecological Management

BAZHOU, CHINA - MAY 22, 2025 - Large-scale machinery is leveling sand dunes in the area of the sand prevention and control project on the northern edge of the Taklimakan Desert in Bayingolin Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang, China on May 22, 2025.

Taklamakan Desert Ecological Management

Taklamakan Desert Ecological Management

BAZHOU, CHINA - MAY 22, 2025 - Large-scale machinery is leveling sand dunes in the area of the sand prevention and control project on the northern edge of the Taklimakan Desert in Bayingolin Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang, China on May 22, 2025.

Taklamakan Desert Ecological Management

Taklamakan Desert Ecological Management

BAZHOU, CHINA - MAY 22, 2025 - Large-scale machinery is leveling sand dunes in the area of the sand prevention and control project on the northern edge of the Taklimakan Desert in Bayingolin Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang, China on May 22, 2025.

Taklamakan Desert Ecological Management

Taklamakan Desert Ecological Management

BAZHOU, CHINA - MAY 22, 2025 - Large-scale machinery is leveling sand dunes in the area of the sand prevention and control project on the northern edge of the Taklimakan Desert in Bayingolin Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang, China on May 22, 2025.

Taklamakan Desert Ecological Management

Taklamakan Desert Ecological Management

BAZHOU, CHINA - MAY 22, 2025 - Large-scale machinery is leveling sand dunes in the area of the sand prevention and control project on the northern edge of the Taklimakan Desert in Bayingolin Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang, China on May 22, 2025.

Taklamakan Desert Ecological Management

Taklamakan Desert Ecological Management

BAZHOU, CHINA - MAY 22, 2025 - Large-scale machinery is leveling sand dunes in the area of the sand prevention and control project on the northern edge of the Taklimakan Desert in Bayingolin Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang, China on May 22, 2025.

Taklamakan Desert Ecological Management

Taklamakan Desert Ecological Management

BAZHOU, CHINA - MAY 22, 2025 - Large-scale machinery is leveling sand dunes in the area of the sand prevention and control project on the northern edge of the Taklimakan Desert in Bayingolin Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang, China on May 22, 2025.

Taklamakan Desert Ecological Management

Taklamakan Desert Ecological Management

BAZHOU, CHINA - MAY 22, 2025 - Large-scale machinery is leveling sand dunes in the area of the sand prevention and control project on the northern edge of the Taklimakan Desert in Bayingolin Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang, China on May 22, 2025.

World Exposition in Osaka

World Exposition in Osaka

Tottori Gov. Shinji Hirai (R) visits the area earmarked for the western Japan prefecture, home to the Tottori Sand Dunes, in the Kansai Pavilion at the 2025 World Exposition site in Osaka on March 23, 2025, ahead of the expo's start in April. The Kansai Pavilion will showcase exhibitions from nine prefectures in the western Japan region.

Heavy snowfall in Japan

Heavy snowfall in Japan

Photo shows snow-covered Tottori Sand Dunes in Tottori, western Japan, on Feb. 8, 2025.

Heavy snowfall in Japan

Heavy snowfall in Japan

Photo shows snow-covered Tottori Sand Dunes in Tottori, western Japan, on Feb. 8, 2025.

Snow-covered Tottori Sand Dunes

Snow-covered Tottori Sand Dunes

Tottori Sand Dunes are blanketed with snow in the western Japan city of Tottori on Jan. 10, 2025.

Snow-covered Tottori Sand Dunes

Snow-covered Tottori Sand Dunes

Tottori Sand Dunes are blanketed with snow in the western Japan city of Tottori on Jan. 10, 2025.

Tiger Shaped Sand in Binzhou

Tiger Shaped Sand in Binzhou

BINZHOU, CHINA - SEPTEMBER 1, 2024 - Tiger shaped sand dunes are seen along the Yellow River in Binzhou city, East China's Shandong province, Sept 1, 2024.

Tiger Shaped Sand in Binzhou

Tiger Shaped Sand in Binzhou

BINZHOU, CHINA - SEPTEMBER 1, 2024 - Tiger shaped sand dunes are seen along the Yellow River in Binzhou city, East China's Shandong province, Sept 1, 2024.

Taklimakan Desert Ecology

Taklimakan Desert Ecology

BAZHOU, CHINA - JULY 2, 2024 - The sand control area on the south bank of Tarim River, Bayingoleng Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang, China, July 2, 2024. According to the dune movement law in the Taklimakan Desert, the local forestry department has laid water-saving drip irrigation facilities on the smooth dunes, planted salt-tolerant and drought-tolerant plants such as sesame and haloxel, and increased the vegetation coverage on the surface to slow down the desertification process.

Taklimakan Desert Ecology

Taklimakan Desert Ecology

BAZHOU, CHINA - JULY 2, 2024 - The sand control area on the south bank of Tarim River, Bayingoleng Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang, China, July 2, 2024. According to the dune movement law in the Taklimakan Desert, the local forestry department has laid water-saving drip irrigation facilities on the smooth dunes, planted salt-tolerant and drought-tolerant plants such as sesame and haloxel, and increased the vegetation coverage on the surface to slow down the desertification process.

Taklimakan Desert Ecology

Taklimakan Desert Ecology

BAZHOU, CHINA - JULY 2, 2024 - The sand control area on the south bank of Tarim River, Bayingoleng Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang, China, July 2, 2024. According to the dune movement law in the Taklimakan Desert, the local forestry department has laid water-saving drip irrigation facilities on the smooth dunes, planted salt-tolerant and drought-tolerant plants such as sesame and haloxel, and increased the vegetation coverage on the surface to slow down the desertification process.

Taklimakan Desert Ecology

Taklimakan Desert Ecology

BAZHOU, CHINA - JULY 2, 2024 - The sand control area on the south bank of Tarim River, Bayingoleng Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang, China, July 2, 2024. According to the dune movement law in the Taklimakan Desert, the local forestry department has laid water-saving drip irrigation facilities on the smooth dunes, planted salt-tolerant and drought-tolerant plants such as sesame and haloxel, and increased the vegetation coverage on the surface to slow down the desertification process.

Taklimakan Desert Ecology

Taklimakan Desert Ecology

BAZHOU, CHINA - JULY 2, 2024 - The sand control area on the south bank of Tarim River, Bayingoleng Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang, China, July 2, 2024. According to the dune movement law in the Taklimakan Desert, the local forestry department has laid water-saving drip irrigation facilities on the smooth dunes, planted salt-tolerant and drought-tolerant plants such as sesame and haloxel, and increased the vegetation coverage on the surface to slow down the desertification process.

Taklimakan Desert Ecology

Taklimakan Desert Ecology

BAZHOU, CHINA - JULY 2, 2024 - The sand control area on the south bank of Tarim River, Bayingoleng Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang, China, July 2, 2024. According to the dune movement law in the Taklimakan Desert, the local forestry department has laid water-saving drip irrigation facilities on the smooth dunes, planted salt-tolerant and drought-tolerant plants such as sesame and haloxel, and increased the vegetation coverage on the surface to slow down the desertification process.

Taklimakan Desert Ecology

Taklimakan Desert Ecology

BAZHOU, CHINA - JULY 2, 2024 - The sand control area on the south bank of Tarim River, Bayingoleng Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang, China, July 2, 2024. According to the dune movement law in the Taklimakan Desert, the local forestry department has laid water-saving drip irrigation facilities on the smooth dunes, planted salt-tolerant and drought-tolerant plants such as sesame and haloxel, and increased the vegetation coverage on the surface to slow down the desertification process.

Chinese Experience in Desert Controi

Chinese Experience in Desert Controi

Workers set up straw checkerboards in Zhongwei, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Sept. 24, 1994. In the 1950s, to protect China's first railway that runs through a desert, the city of Zhongwei embarked on a journey of desert mitigation. Scientists at the Shapotou Desert Research and Experiment Station, part of the Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, along with local residents, developed straw checkerboards to stabilize the sand and prevent dunes from shifting. Tang Ximing, a senior engineer at a state-owned forestry farm in Zhongwei, crafted a steel tool that differs from regular shovels by featuring two horizontal bars at the front tip. This innovative tool enables the planting of seedling roots 50 centimeters deep into the moist sand layer. This simple tool increases the survival rate of afforestation by 25 percent to over 85 percent. It has been widely promoted and used in afforestation projects across other regions in northern China. In

Chinese Experience in Desert Controi

Chinese Experience in Desert Controi

Workers pave straw checkerboards in the Tengger Desert, in Zhongwei of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, May 29, 2024. In the 1950s, to protect China's first railway that runs through a desert, the city of Zhongwei embarked on a journey of desert mitigation. Scientists at the Shapotou Desert Research and Experiment Station, part of the Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, along with local residents, developed straw checkerboards to stabilize the sand and prevent dunes from shifting. Tang Ximing, a senior engineer at a state-owned forestry farm in Zhongwei, crafted a steel tool that differs from regular shovels by featuring two horizontal bars at the front tip. This innovative tool enables the planting of seedling roots 50 centimeters deep into the moist sand layer. This simple tool increases the survival rate of afforestation by 25 percent to over 85 percent. It has been widely promoted and used in afforestation projects across other regions i

Chinese Experience in Desert Controi

Chinese Experience in Desert Controi

Workers pave straw checkerboards in the Tengger Desert, in Zhongwei of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, May 30, 2024. In the 1950s, to protect China's first railway that runs through a desert, the city of Zhongwei embarked on a journey of desert mitigation. Scientists at the Shapotou Desert Research and Experiment Station, part of the Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, along with local residents, developed straw checkerboards to stabilize the sand and prevent dunes from shifting. Tang Ximing, a senior engineer at a state-owned forestry farm in Zhongwei, crafted a steel tool that differs from regular shovels by featuring two horizontal bars at the front tip. This innovative tool enables the planting of seedling roots 50 centimeters deep into the moist sand layer. This simple tool increases the survival rate of afforestation by 25 percent to over 85 percent. It has been widely promoted and used in afforestation projects across other regions i

Chinese Experience in Desert Controi

Chinese Experience in Desert Controi

Workers produce straw checkerboard materials in Zhongwei of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, May 29, 2024. In the 1950s, to protect China's first railway that runs through a desert, the city of Zhongwei embarked on a journey of desert mitigation. Scientists at the Shapotou Desert Research and Experiment Station, part of the Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, along with local residents, developed straw checkerboards to stabilize the sand and prevent dunes from shifting. Tang Ximing, a senior engineer at a state-owned forestry farm in Zhongwei, crafted a steel tool that differs from regular shovels by featuring two horizontal bars at the front tip. This innovative tool enables the planting of seedling roots 50 centimeters deep into the moist sand layer. This simple tool increases the survival rate of afforestation by 25 percent to over 85 percent. It has been widely promoted and used in afforestation projects across other regions in northern

Chinese Experience in Desert Controi

Chinese Experience in Desert Controi

Tang Ximing, a senior engineer at a state-owned forestry farm in Zhongwei, demonstrates an upgraded electric seedling planter invented by himself in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, June 1, 2024. In the 1950s, to protect China's first railway that runs through a desert, the city of Zhongwei embarked on a journey of desert mitigation. Scientists at the Shapotou Desert Research and Experiment Station, part of the Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, along with local residents, developed straw checkerboards to stabilize the sand and prevent dunes from shifting. Tang Ximing, a senior engineer at a state-owned forestry farm in Zhongwei, crafted a steel tool that differs from regular shovels by featuring two horizontal bars at the front tip. This innovative tool enables the planting of seedling roots 50 centimeters deep into the moist sand layer. This simple tool increases the survival rate of afforestation by 25 percent to over 85 percent. It has