Birds sport on Juyanhai Lake in Ejin Banner of Alxa League, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Oct. 17, 2019. Juyanhai Lake, at the end of a stream off the Heihe River, had been one of the largest lakes in northwest China. The lake nourished the region until 1992, when it dried up due to centuries of excessive grazing and desertification. Against this backdrop, the Heihe River Water Diversion Project was launched in 2003 to nurture barren land and water nearby pastures via Juyanhai Lake. Following the diversion, the number of sand storms dropped and the environment got improved. (Xinhua/Ding Hongfa)