China's 'Green Great Wall' tames desert growth, but scientists warn the fight is not over

For half a century, millions of workers have repeated a task across the deserts in northern China: inserting forearm-length sticks into shifting sand, first in a row, then in an intersecting line, gradually forming a grid. Then saplings are planted at the center of each small square.

Source: [Phys.org](https://phys.org/news/2026-07-china-green-great-wall-growth.html)