One of the driest regions in the world is being transformed into a carbon sink through a long-term, large-scale tree planting program , absorbing more greenhouse gases than it emits. It's the result of almost five decades of work around the edges of the Taklamakan Desert in northwestern China, and evidence that with the right levels of funding and stability, these afforestation projects can – by some measures – be successful. The changes at the desert's borders were evaluated by a team of