(CNN) — Striking images from the Sahara Desert show large lakes etched into rolling sand dunes after one of the most arid, barren places in the world was hit with its first floods in decades.

The Sahara was already on its way to becoming a desert. Due to natural cycles, the area was losing moisture in the air. However, the loss of grasses due to overgrazing sped up the process.

Many migrants make the treacherous journey in the hope of a better life in Europe Survivors say 44 people have died of thirst after their truck broke down in the Sahara Desert in northern Niger ...