2008-11-13 中国沙漠化危机（在线收听）

The farmland of Wang Yang-tang in Hubei province lies abandoned. Over the last century, sand has devoured the rich pastures. As sand dunes edge closer to Beijing each year, Northern China's rapidly turning into desert. 

Shen Zhao-xiang, the director of Beijing's Forestation Bureau says sandstorms have been harmful to people and disastrous to the environment. More than 17% of China's landmass is now desert. Each spring Beijing usually has at least one sandstorm. Some experts believe the country's problem is a result of its fast-paced development.

China's Meteorological Bureau has launched a monitoring system, predicting sandstorms up to three days in advance. Professor Shu Zwang says the system is vital to combating the often crippling effects of the storm.

The sandstorms are affecting visibility, preventing planes from taking off and landing, thus causing delays.

Reduced visibility on the roads brings accidents, so they are a major inconvenience for commuters and travelers. The dust from the storms also gets into people's lungs and creates serious health problems.

But the forestation bureau's work to build a green great wall of trees across the desert in Northern China seems to be paying off. According to officials, there's been a marginal shrinkage in deserts since 2001, due in part to a large tree-planting effort. Despite these advances, the possibility of Northern China turning into a veritable desert still looms