Spread Over 135 Square Miles In Yunnan

Spread Over 135 Square Miles In Yunnan

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Asia Pacific

| Living in China’s Expanding Deserts

Josh Haner and Edward Wong reported from the Tengger Desert, and Derek Watkins and Jeremy White from New York. Kiki Zhao and Sarah Li contributed research. Edited by Hannah Fairfield and Jodi Rudoren. Photographs and drone videos by Josh Haner. Photo editing by Meaghan Looram. Additional video editing by Taige Jensen.

Notes and sources: Arid regions saw less than 250 millimeters of average annual precipitation from 1981 to 2013. Sandstorm severity calculated as winter storm hours over frequency. Precipitation data from Climate Hazards Group, University of California, Santa Barbara, via the International Research Institute for Climate and Society, Columbia University. Sandstorm data from the Data Sharing Network of Earth Systems Science via the Center for Geographic Analysis, Harvard University. Population data from WorldPop. Satellite imagery from DigitalGlobe via Google.

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People on the edges of the country’s vast seas of sand are being displaced by climate change.

People on the edges of the country’s vast seas of sand are being displaced by climate change.
By JOSH HANER, EDWARD WONG, DEREK WATKINS and JEREMY WHITE
In the Tengger Desert, China — This desert, called the Tengger, lies on the southern edge of the massive Gobi Desert, not far from major cities like Beijing. The Tengger is growing.
For years, China’s deserts spread at an annual rate of more than 1,300 square miles. Many villages have been lost. Climate change and human activities have accelerated desertification. China says government efforts to relocate residents, plant trees and limit herding have slowed or reversed desert growth in some areas. But the usefulness of those policies is debated by scientists, and deserts are expanding in critical regions.
Nearly 20 percent of China is desert, and drought across the northern region is getting worse. One recent estimate said China had 21,000 square miles more desert than what existed in 1975 — about the size of Croatia. As the Tengger expands, it is merging with two other deserts to form a vast sea of sand that could become uninhabitable.
Liu Jiali, 4, lives in the Tengger.
Like Jiali’s family, many people herd animals and run small tourist parks on the edge of the Tengger Desert.
Jiali lives in an area called Alxa League, where the government has relocated about 30,000 people, who are called “ecological migrants,” because of desertification.
Across northern China, generations of families have made a living herding animals on the edge of the desert. Officials say that along with climate change, overgrazing is contributing to the desert’s growth. But some experiments suggest moderate grazing may actually mitigate the effects of climate change on grasslands, and China’s herder relocation policies could be undermining that.
Officials have given Jiali and her family a home in a village about six miles from Swan Lake, the oasis where they run a tourist park. To get them to move and sell off their herd of more than 70 sheep, 30 cows and eight camels, the officials have offered an annual subsidy equivalent to $1,500 for each of her parents and $1,200 for a grandmother who lives with them.
Jiali’s mother, Du Jinping, 45, said the family would live in the new village in the winter, but return to Swan Lake in the summer.
Jiali’s mother, Du Jinping, 45, said the family would live in the new village in the winter, but return to Swan Lake in the summer.
The family charges each tourist $4.50 to visit Swan Lake. Visitors also rent camels and dune buggies, and can pay to eat in the round Mongolian tents, called gers. But the oasis, which is the main attraction, is shrinking. Ms. Du said the water level had been declining. Many of the oases in the Tengger are drying up.
The family charges each tourist $4.50 to visit Swan Lake.
Visitors also rent camels and dune buggies.
And they can pay to eat in the round Mongolian tents, called gers.
But the oasis, which is the main attraction, is shrinking.
Many of the oases in the Tengger are drying up.
Local governments in desert regions began relocating people away from the encroaching sands decades ago.
But China’s densely populated areas are pushing toward the deserts, as the deserts grow toward the cities.
Storms of wind-driven sand have become increasingly frequent and intense, reaching Beijing and other large cities. “We dread the sandstorms,” Ms. Du said.
Residents who live on the edge of the deserts try to limit the steady march of the sand. Along with local governments, they plant trees in an effort to block the wind and stabilize the soil.
Many people in this area are from families that fled Minqin, at the western end of the Tengger Desert, during China’s Great Famine from 1958 to 1962, when tens of millions died.
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Guo Kaiming, 40, a farmer who also manages a tourist park at the edge of the Tengger Desert, planted rows of trees by a new cross-desert highway in June.
Mr. Guo took saplings that the government had left behind after it completed a tree planting operation.
He said he was not ready to join the climate refugees. He has his corn and wheat fields, plus income from running the tourist park.
Last year, the company that operates the park paid students to build seven giant sand sculptures as its centerpiece. But strong desert winds steadily eroded them. “They are all a mess now,” Mr. Guo said. “The wind is fierce. It has messed up everything.”
Last year, the company that operates the park paid students to build seven giant sand sculptures as its centerpiece.
But strong desert winds steadily eroded them.
“They are all a mess now,” Mr. Guo said. “The wind is fierce.”
The government encourages farmers like Mr. Guo because it says agriculture can help reclaim land from the desert. Officials offer subsidies: Mr. Guo gets $600 per year for “grassland ecological protection.”
But farming is also becoming more difficult. Huang Chunmei, who grew up in the town of Tonggunao’er and now farms there, said the water table was two meters, or about six feet, below ground during her childhood, and “now, you have to dig four or five meters.”
Ms. Huang planted more than 200 trees on her own last spring, in the hope that they would help block sandstorms and hold back the sand.
Ms. Huang, 38, grows corn and tomatoes, some in greenhouse structures.
“The soil is not as soft or good as it was before,” she said. “We use more fertilizer now.”
Ms. Huang and her husband have sent their 14-year-old daughter to a boarding school in a nearby city. “I don’t want my girl to return,” she said. “The sand and wind make life tough here. We’ll see what she wants to do when she finishes school.”
Ms. Huang and her husband have sent their 14-year-old daughter to a boarding school in a nearby city.
“I don’t want my girl to return,” she said.
“The sand and wind make life tough here.”
“We’ll see what she wants to do when she finishes school.”
About 17 percent of the population in Alxa League are ethnic Mongolians, whose lives and livelihoods have long been tied to the herding the government is trying to halt.
Mengkebuyin, 42, and his wife, Mandula, 41, grow corn and sunflowers, but their 200 sheep provide most of their income: They sell the meat to a hotel restaurant in a nearby city.
The sheep graze in the desert, where grass is growing scarce. They roam by his old family home, near the shores of a lake that dried up years ago. Mengkebuyin and his wife maintain the old home but do not stay for long periods.
They have moved to a village five miles away.
Mengkebuyin uses a motorcycle and a desert buggy to drive the sheep to graze. He herds the sheep toward the old family home, where he can give the animals water. He would like to move to better pasture, but the government will not allow it.
Mengkebuyin uses a motorcycle and a desert buggy to drive the sheep to graze.
He would like to move to better pasture, but the government will not allow it.
He herds the sheep toward the old family home, where he can give the animals water.
Mengkebuyin and Mandula have decided that they want their 16-year-old daughter to live and work in a city.
Four generations of Mengkebuyin’s family lived by the lake in a thriving community. But gradually, everyone left.
Notes and sources: Arid regions saw less than 250 millimeters of average annual precipitation from 1981 to 2013. Sandstorm severity calculated as winter storm hours over frequency. Precipitation data from Climate Hazards Group, University of California, Santa Barbara, via the International Research Institute for Climate and Society, Columbia University. Sandstorm data from the Data Sharing Network of Earth Systems Science via the Center for Geographic Analysis, Harvard University. Population data from WorldPop. Satellite imagery from DigitalGlobe via Google.
Josh Haner and Edward Wong reported from the Tengger Desert, and Derek Watkins and Jeremy White from New York. Kiki Zhao and Sarah Li contributed research.

Bija Knowles, CNN • Updated 17th August 2017
(CNN) — Water, fire and ice have combined to make some of the most spectacular scenery in the world -- from giant crystal caves to mud volcanoes and rock formations that look like works of art.
If your office and daily commute aren't a fitting reminder of the extraordinary natural diversity of planet earth, get some inspiration from these incredible scenes.
1. Pulpit Rock , Preikestolen, Norway
If there are any preachers here, they'll be telling you to get back.
Courtesy L.C. Nøttaasen/Creative Commons/Flickr
With a 604-meter drop from a flat plateau down to Lysefjord with no safety railings, this is not a place for vertigo sufferers. Keep well back from the edge and you can still enjoy the fantastic scenery over Kjerag peak, which itself drops 984 meters. Preikestolen is south of Jorpeland. From the designated car park it's a 90-minute hike to the viewpoint.
The Gran Salar de Uyuni in southern Bolivia takes in more than 10 square kilometers of salt. It feels more like a desert than a lake. The flat, white landscape causes optical illusions and reflects colors. There's even a hotel made almost entirely of salt and an island where giant cacti grow in the middle of the salt lake. Gran Salar de Uyuni is 533 kilometers south of La Paz and 200 kilometers southwest of Potosi.
More than enough room to swing a very big cat.
Courtesy Sarah Skiold-Hanlin/Creative Commons/Flickr
The Ngorogoro Crater is Africa's Eden. Created when a huge volcano exploded 2-3 million years ago, the 300 square kilometer caldera now offers the best chances of seeing Africa's wild animals. Lions, rhino, leopards, elephant and buffalo are the "big five" present among around 25,000 animals, and nearly every species present in East Africa, which call the area home.
Besides that, the crater itself offers dramatic vistas, especially at sunrise. From Kilimanjaro International Airport you can fly or drive the 55 kilometers to Arusha, from where you can organize tours and accommodation inside and outside the crater.
4. Paria Canyon , Arizona, United States
Jeff Topping/Getty Images North America/Getty Images
The Paria River in northern Arizona carved its own smaller version of the Grand Canyon. Some of the rock formations, including The Wave, are just as spectacular. Visitors need a permit from the Bureau of Land Management -- the permit for an overnight trek comes with a "human waste bag," so if you want to visit this natural wonder, you'll have to prepare to pack your waste. The Paria Contact Station is 69 kilometers east of Kanab. You can hire a guide through the Bureau of Land Management .
5. Volcanic eruptions , Stromboli, Italy
A fireworks show millions of years in the making.
GIOVANNI ISOLINO/AFP/AFP/Getty Images
Part of the Aeolian Islands off the coast of Sicily, Stromboli is a small volcanic island with several hundred brave inhabitants. Unlike most volcanoes, Stromboli's is constantly spewing lava fountains, gas and ash. Fascinating for volcanologists, but also great for day-trippers who fancy seeing live lava action.
For natural fireworks, take a boat trip around the island at night. Arrange boat tours from harbors on the north coast of Sicily (Messina, Cefalu, Palermo).
6. Mud volcanoes , Gobustan, Azerbaijan
One of the few places you can bathe in a volcanic eruption.
Courtesy Mark Ireland/Creative Commons/Flickr
Mud lovers trek to Gobustan's strangely Martian landscape, 65 kilometers south of Azerbaijan's capital Baku, where thick gray mud regularly spews from small volcanoes. The mud is thought to have medicinal qualities, so don't be surprised if you see people stripping down and lathering themselves in the goo. Look out for the area's Roman inscriptions and the petroglyphic rock art. About 70 kilometers west of Baku.
7. Jeita Grotto , Nahr al-Kalb Valley, Lebanon
Eighteen kilometers northeast of Beirut, Jeita Grotto is comprised of underground limestone caves were inhabited in prehistoric times and continue to attract human visitors with their vivid colors and stalactite formations. The biggest stalactite in the world is here. The caves consist of a network of chambers -- with an upper and a lower gallery -- stretching out for nine kilometers and accessible by an underground river. The nearest town is Juniyah, just a few kilometers away. Cave tours last two hours.
8. Pembrokeshire Coast Path National Trail , Wales
You can almost hear the male choirs in the distance.

Courtesy Robert Haandrikman/Creative Commons/Flickr
This path twists 300 kilometers from St. Dogmaels to Amroth in southwest Wales. It's often wet and windy, but if you strike lucky on a sunny day this is one of the most beautiful places on Earth. Scented gorse and crimson heather brighten the way. Look for seals in the waters below. Paths are signposted -- join the path on the coast between St. Dogmaels and Amroth. Details on guided walks and activities can be found on the National Trails website -- including self-guided walks with baggage transfer.
Beautiful to look at. But swimming here is only for masochists.
Courtesy Alosh Bennett/Creative Commons/Flickr
This saltwater lake deep in the Himalayas at an altitude of 4,350 meters lies astride a disputed border area between India and China-governed Tibet. Don't let that put you off -- the rarefied air make the colors and clarity of the lake intense.
Pangong Tso is reached by a mountain road from the Indian town of Leh, but you'll need to get a permit via a registered tour guide. Get to Leh by road from Jammu, or by plane from Delhi. At Leh arrange a permit and travel by road four to five hours to the lake. Permits and tour guides can be arranged through reputable travel agents such as Kuoni
10. Geirangerfjord and Naeroyfjord , Norway
Courtesy Kamil Porembiński/Creative Commons/Flickr
If you only have time to visit two fjords in your lifetime, make it the Geirangerfjord and Naeroyfjord in southwest Norway. These are among the world's longest and deepest fjords, with high vertical cliffs, deep waters and giddy waterfalls. Both are on the UNESCO World Heritage list . Trips can be arranged from Bergen and Alesund.
11. South Kaibab Trail, Grand Canyon , Arizona, United States
"Ooh Ah Point" awaits the adventurous.
Courtesy Mac H (media601)/Creative Commons/Flickr
Most visitors view the canyon from South Rim viewing stations. Considering that it has taken the Colorado River the past 17 million years to carve this wonder out of rock, it seems only fair to take a closer look. Built by the National Park Service in 1924, the South Kaibab Trail takes you to the wonderfully named "Ooh Ah Point" and, for the adventurous, further into the canyon's depths. Plan carefully, heat stroke is no fun.
In the northwest corner of Arizona, visitors usually head to South Rim Village (120 kilometers northwest of Flagstaff on route 180) or the North Rim Village. Free shuttle buses service the South Rim in summer months. Ranger-led day hikes and walks take place throughout the year.
12. Mount Roraima , Guyana/Brazil/Venezuela
1. Climb. 2. Catch breath. 3. Stand in awe.

Courtesy M M/Creative Commons/Flickr
South America's answer to Uluru, this impressive sandstone plateau is surrounded on all sides by 400-meter cliffs, creating an isolated and unique ecosystem. If you want to follow in David Attenborough's footsteps (he's filmed several times here), organize a trek from the Venezuelan side. Hiking up Mount Roraima is best done from Venezuela. The Paratepui Route is the easiest for non-technical climbers and trips can be arranged from San Francisco de Yurani.
13. Verdon Gorge , Provence, France
Up a creek without a paddle? Not so bad.

Courtesy Casper Moller/Creative commons/Flickr
The gorgeous turquoise waters of the Verdon River flow through one of Europe's most beautiful gorges for 25 kilometers. Swim in the translucent waters of Lac de St. Croix and stare in awe at the 700-meter walls of the Verdon Gorge in France . If you've got a head for heights, it's a popular destination for rock-climbing. The Verdon Gorge is on the border of the departements of Var and the Alpes de Hautes Provence.
1 4. Jiuzhaigou National Park , Sichuan Province, China
All the colors of nature in one park.

Courtesy Jeremy Thompson/Creative Commons/Flickr
The three valleys that form this biosphere reserve in China contain a network of connected lakes, waterfalls and rivers -- the most spectacular of which are the Pearl Waterfalls. Spot the ancient tree trunks under the clear waters of Five Flower Lake. Wooden paths and shuttle buses help visitors get around. In the north of Sichuan, the nearest town to Jiuzhaigou National Park is Songpan.
And you thought your city was crowded.

Wild Horizon/Universal Images Group Editorial/UIG via Getty Images
A streak of blue (and pink) in Kenya's Great Rift Valley, Lake Nakuru is home to thousands of pink flamingoes that flock here to feed on the lake's algae. A UNESCO Heritage Site, Lake Nakuru National Park is also home to hippos, white and black rhino, giraffe and buffalo. Take a matatu 156 kilometers northwest of Nairobi, or a plane to the Naishi airstrip.
Chris Jackson/Getty Images AsiaPac/Getty Images
Australia's favorite giant sandstone mass is 350 meters high and more than nine kilometers in circumference. It's a sacred and spiritual site for its custodians, the aboriginal Anangu, so climbing the rock is considered disrespectful to them. It can also be dangerous. Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park is about 440 kilometers southwest of Alice Springs. Flights are available from most major cities to Ayers Rock airport.
Courtesy Heather Cowper/Creative Commons/Flickr
This isolated oasis has natural springs and fertile land, providing access to spectacular stretches of Sahara desert. It's a great spot for star gazing from your tent in the sand, but bring your bathing suit for a dip in its hot and cold natural pools. A 10-hour drive west of Cairo. Public buses take much longer. Desert safaris can be arranged in Siwa .
18. Seljalandsfoss Waterfall , Iceland
A waterfall you can stand beneath without getting wet.
Courtesy Guilhem Vel
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Spread Over 135 Square Miles In Yunnan

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