One day in the Tengger Desert, a section of the Gobi Desert, there was a sand storm. As the flying sand beat at my body, I squinted my eyes to shoot photographs. By my side was Mr. Wu Jingzhong, Vice President of the Alashan League. He compared the desert to “a red dragon�Eand explained that whole villages were swallowed up by the dragon. He talked passionately about the fight against desertification. The fine sand obstructed my field of vision. When the westerly wind blows, it will probably travel across the ocean to Japan as yellow dust. The progressing destruction of the environment in remote areas caused by deforestation and desertification threatens not only the surrounding areas but also a large part of Asia. As warnings are issued about the increase of yellow sand, various initiatives are being launched based on technical cooperation between China and Japan. They include plans to promote the economic development of areas inhabited by ethnic minorities and to help alleviate the poverty of the local people. Projects to restore forests in the mountainous regions of Sichuan and fight desertification in Inner Mongolia are underway. There are calls for more tree-planting efforts in urban areas as well. The rapid economic development in recent years has brought dramatic changes to the society. Up until now, the emphasis has been on the convenience and comfort of the people. In the future, however, more people must work together to tackle the imminent threats to the environment. Global warming and the heat-island phenomenon are already becoming serious issues. In this gallery, I took the perspective of environmental issues and focused on the lives of the people who are affected by growing reforestation activities. People's Republic of China Population: ca 1.3 billion Territory: 9.6 million km² Capital: Beijing Ethnic Groups: Han and the other 55 groups Language: Chinese Religion: Buddhism, Muslim, Christian etc.