International Day of Forests: China's green development fuels ecological and economic prosperity

March 21 marks the International Day of Forests. The theme for 2026, Forests and Economies, highlights the essential roles of forests in driving economic prosperity.

China has seen solid progress in land greening with its forest area and stock volume both expanding for 40 consecutive years, according to the National Forestry and Grassland Administration.

The country's forest area has reached 3.614 billion mu (about 241 million hectares), with the forest coverage rate rising to 25.09%, making China the world's fastest-growing contributor to global greening.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), China launched major programs to protect and restore key ecosystems, with desertification and sandification areas continuing to shrink.

A total of 549 million mu of land were afforested, over 4.34 million mu of wetlands restored, and 152 million mu of desertified land treated during the period, the administration data showed.

These efforts have generated both environmental and economic benefits. Currently, the annual value of ecosystem services provided by China's forestry and grassland systems exceeds 30 trillion yuan (about $4.35 trillion).

Meanwhile, the annual forest food production surpassed 240 million tonnes, while ecotourism attracted 3 billion visits each year, according to the administration.

(With input from Xinhua)