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BEIJING, June 7, 2023 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/ --

China has doubled down on sustained efforts to do well in the "long-term

historical mission of the "three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program" in a bid to

counter sandstorms and soil erosion in its northern region.

Over the past four decades, the program has increased the forest area by 30.14

million hectares, according to 2018 data.

China's "three-North," the northwest, north and northeast regions, is home to

deserts, including the Gobi, and a lot of desertification. The country launched

the "three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program" project in 1978.

On Tuesday, President Xi Jinping hailed the work to combat desertification

along the northern border as he acknowledged the widespread and hard-to-manage

features of the overall desertification situation in the country.

"The construction of major ecological projects like the three-North Shelterbelt

Forest Program can only be made possible under the leadership of the Communist

Party of China (CPC)," said Xi while visiting a forest farm in Bayannur City in

north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

He noted the basic target of consolidating the "ecological security barrier" of

the north while highlighting the new target of making the project an

"indestructible green wall of the northern border."

China has taken the lead in the global campaign to green the planet, with the

highest growth in forest coverage and the largest area of man-made forests. A

2019 finding published in Nature Sustainability showed that at least 25 percent

of the foliage expansion since the early 2000s globally came from China, based

on data from NASA satellites.

Ecological restoration

On Monday afternoon, Xi visited Ulan Suhai Lake, a rare large grassland lake in

the world's desert and semi-desert area, where he checked out the ecological

restoration efforts there.

The lake, which many call the "natural kidney" of the Yellow River, plays a

vital role in water adjustment, purification and flood control of the river.

Since the 1990s, Ulan Suhai Lake has seen a reduction in its natural recharge

water, urban sewage pollution, industrial wastewater pollution and the

degradation of its ecological functions, among other issues, prompting local

officials to commence preservation campaigns.

According to official data, they have reached the second stage of achievement

with the continuous restoration of biodiversity. The lake has now seen 264

kinds of bird species and 22 kinds of fish species.

Xi highlighted the importance of preserving the lake on Monday, urging

continuous efforts. "The conservation of Ulan Suhai Lake has important

implications for the preservation of ecological security of China's northern

region," he said.

The Chinese president said he hopes to create a "beautiful home" for future

generations.

Scientific innovation

Xi also visited a monitoring center in the Hetao Irrigation area in Bayannur on

Tuesday and learned about the informatization methods that can detail local

monitoring efforts and promote the efficiency of water resources.

An approximately 2,200-year-old project, the Hetao Irrigation area has been

diverting water from the Yellow River for farmland irrigation in the Hetao

plain in northern China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. It is one of the

country's three largest irrigation areas with a seven-stage irrigation and

drainage system.

Xi called for improvement of the project, specifically scientific water

diversion in the area, and called for efforts from the entire society. Though

China has abundant water resources, the Chinese president still stressed the

importance of saving water. He also urged further efforts in "modern and

efficient agriculture" that fits the farming feature in the region.

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2023-06-06/Xi-inspects-Bayannur-City-in-Inner-Mongolia-1kpZX03Cw9i/index.html

Source: CGTN