17 May 2012: The World Bank has approved a US$80 million loan in support of the Desertification Control and Ecological Protection Project, with the aim of supporting the control of desertification and land degradation, as well as protecting farmland and infrastructure in Ningxia, China.

The project seeks to support desertification control and land rehabilitation through four primary investments. The first investment is the establishment of a vegetation cover (straw checker boards and indigenous shrub and grass vegetation) to stop the shifting of sand dunes, and in turn stop the desert from spreading onto agricultural land and settlements. The project also plans to invest in better protection and management of natural re-vegetation of degraded areas, including through planting supplemental vegetation to aid the natural revegetation processes. Third, the project will invest in establishing multi-layer tree shelterbelts to protect roads, canals, and fields. Finally, investments will be made in the information and awareness-raising sector. Awareness campaigns will seek to provide local communities with the necessary tools to better manage their land resources. [World Bank Press Release]