This chapter explores China’s efforts to combat desertification, with a focus on the Three-North Shelterbelt reforestation project and the Hongyashan Reservoir in Gansu Province. These initiatives showcase the challenges and opportunities in balancing socio-economic development with environmental rehabilitation in arid regions. The chapter examines the ecological dynamics of desertification, the socio-economic pressures of population displacement, and the precarious interplay between human activity and natural systems. By comparing historical ecological losses, such as the drying of Lop Nur, the chapter positions desert ecosystems globally as interconnected landscapes, proposing a comparative methodology for managing aridity.