Desertification is a big problem in dry areas like Inner Mongolia, China. Scientists created a new way to measure how much desertification is happening using a Normalized Landscape Index (NLI). They looked at sandy lands in two regions over 20 years and found that one region had less desertification while the other had more. The NLI was better at showing changes in desertification than other methods. This can help us understand and prevent desertification in sandy areas.