The shallow underground water layer is still widely visible in the sandy soils of the eastern confines of the Horquin Desert in May-June, just before the appearance of the rain-laden clouds of the humid Western Monsoon. - - Afforestation, Research and Devpt in Three-North Region: GCP/CPR/009/BEL. Since 1978 China has been implementing a massive rehabilitation programme aimed at afforestation of more than 35 million h a. over a 73-year period in the arid and sub-arid belt of Northwest, North and Northeast China, the so-called Three-North Region. T