Desertification control workers make straw checkerboard barriers in the desert of Linze county, Zhangye, Northwest China's Gansu province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Linze county in Zhangye, Northwest China's Gansu province has made great progress in combating the loss of fertile land to desertification.

Volunteers set up grids made of straw and planted shrubs, such as Haloxylon ammodendron, Salix and other species, to prevent the Badain Jaran Desert from expanding.

At present, about 31,680 hectares of desert area have been covered, greatly improving the country's green coverage.