A sand dune on the Navajo Nation. Photo from U.S. Geological Survey

The Navajo Nation is literally shoveling away the effects of climate change.

A third of the reservation is covered in sand dunes, Fronteras reports. Margaret Hiza Redsteer, a scientist with the U.S. Geological Survey, said the problem grows constantly due to rising temperatures that exacerbate drought conditions, invasive plants and overgrazed fields.

"It’s a losing battle, unfortunately," Hiza Redsteer, a member of the Crow Tribe who's been studying the sand dunes for 15 years, told Fronteras.

Karletta Chief, a tribal member, said people on the reservation are constantly shoveling dunes. The community in Kayenta, Arizona, has built barriers in hopes of keeping the sand away from homes.

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Climate Change Makes Parts Of The Navajo Nation Uninhabitable (Fronteras 5/28)