The 2021 World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought is observed on June 17 with a focus on turning degraded land into healthy land. Follow our correspondent on a tour to Linze, a desert town in northwest China, and explore what the locals have done to improve the harsh living environment on the southern fringe of the Badain Jaran desert.

Aerial photo taken on June 17, 2021 shows a water conservancy project in Linze Town, northwest China's Gansu Province. (Xinhua/Fan Peishen)

Aerial photo taken on June 17, 2021 shows the construction site of a water conservancy project in Linze Town, northwest China's Gansu Province. (Xinhua/Fan Peishen)

Aerial photo taken on June 16, 2021 shows a desert control project in Linze Town, northwest China's Gansu Province. (Xinhua/Fan Peishen)

Aerial photo taken on June 17, 2021 shows a water conservancy project in Linze Town, northwest China's Gansu Province. (Xinhua/Fan Peishen)