Forest coverage rate rises in Xinjiang

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Thanks to an afforestation campaign, the forested area in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has increased rapidly, said local forestry authorities.

The forest coverage rate of the region's oases scattered around the Tianshan Mountains has risen to 28.5 percent from 24.8 percent during the past five years, according to the regional forestry department.

In 2017 alone, 300,000 hectares of desertified land was restored and about 214,000 hectares of trees were planted in the oases.

A forested area in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region./VCG Photo

In addition, the local government has improved irrigation systems to raise the survival rate of trees. The forests on the periphery of the oases have helped rein in the desertification trend, said the department.

Over the past three years, Xinjiang's forests have grown to eight million hectares from 6.98 million hectares, according to the regional development and reform commission.

Source(s): Xinhua News Agency