China's Growing Sands
Some of the most striking images on display at December's Copenhagen climate change conference were pictures of China taken by a young British photographer.
Sean Gallagher travelled across the world's most populated country on what is known as the 'desertification train.'
And he documented his journey in photos to show how life is a constant struggle for those living on the edges of China's deserts.
China is fighting a war against creeping sand - year on year its deserts are expanding and joining to create a massive dustbowl.
It is estimated that 20 per cent of China's land area - some 1.74 million square kilometers - is now classified as desert.
One of the main stops on Sean's trip was Hongsibao - an environmental refugee town built from scratch by the Chinese Government to house those forced from their homes by the sandstorms and water shortages.
Lucy Ash spoke to Sean and asked him how these environmental refugees feel about their new home.
Visit to see more of his photography
A Uighur woman protects herself from a sandstorm in Xinjiang Province. 2009
A man pushes his bike into an enveloping sandstorm on the outskirts of the town of Hongsibao, in Ningxia Province. 2009
A farmer stands amongst the dunes of the Tengger Desert in Ningxia Province. 2009
Tourists in the Shapotou Desert Theme Park in Ningxia Province. The area has been turned into a entertainment area for many domestic tourists who visit the region. 2009
The Shapotou Desert Theme Park in Ningxia Province. 2009
A young boy in the town of Hongsibao, built just over 10 years ago in order to rehouse over 200,000 environmental refugees moved as a result of increasing desertification in the region. 2009
A tourist tries on traditional clothes on the Inner Mongolian grasslands, which have deteriorated as a result of overgrazing in recent years. 2009
Encroaching sand in Inner Mongolia. 2009
A lone factory surrounded by sand dunes in Inner Mongolia. 2009