World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought falls on Friday. Youyu County in north China's Shanxi Province sits at the edge of the Mu Us Desert and was once a desolate area along the Great Wall of China, but 70 years of afforestation saw it transformed into a lush green oasis. The sea-buckthorn plant was instrumental in the miraculous turnaround, not only easing arid land but also producing nutritious and tasty berries.