When tackling a national challenge, China faces a fierce battle against desertification that spans vast landscapes. About 27.4% of the country’s surface is desert, and this drought affects roughly 400 million people. The arid zones keep encroaching, and sandstorms erase thousands of square kilometers of farmland each year. Yet the Great Green Wall project stands as a clear example of how sustained, large‑scale policy can produce measurable results.
What is the Great Green Wall of China? It is a monumental effort, widely regarded as the world’s largest forest‑engineering program. Launched in 1978, it is planned to continue through 2050, forming a green belt about 4,480 kilometers in length. This initiative halts the expansion of the Gobi Desert and is also known as the Three North Project. The belt stretches across the Northwest, North Central, and Northeast regions, the parts most affected by desertification and crop losses.
Although it may appear to be a long‑range program with uncertain outcomes, evidence from scientific research shows significant progress. A study published in Ecological Processes by scholars from the Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, confirms notable ecological gains from the initiative.
Marking a strong expansion of forested areas
According to the study, forest cover created between 1978 and 2017 expanded by 158,051 square kilometers. That amount is nearly twice the area of Andalusia. The key finding is not only the reclaiming of land from desert conditions but also the positive impact on carbon sequestration. Reforestation turned into a substantial carbon sink that absorbed about 5% of China’s total industrial CO2 emissions between 1978 and 2017.
The Three Norths project increased forest area from roughly 221,000 square kilometers in 1978 to about 379,000 square kilometers in 2017, based on the latest figures. During these four decades, a system for capturing about 47.06 million tons of carbon each year was established.
Additional data indicate a 70% reduction in spring sandstorms in Beijing between 2008 and 2018, highlighting the tangible benefits of large‑scale reforestation that preceded the project’s completion.
Spring sandstorms in Beijing declined by 70% between 2008 and 2018
The cumulative effort by 2018 reached about 66,000 million trees planted, with emphasis on species such as Enterolobium cyclocarpum and other Fabaceae adapted to arid soils. The forestry administration monitors ongoing developments to gauge progress, noting that desert advance slowed and then began to retreat following intensified planting campaigns. The trend demonstrates how policy, science, and community action can align to change a landscape over time.
Images show a panorama of forested regions across the nation, underscoring the scale of this undertaking.
Some voices questioned certain methods and the reported figures, arguing that reforestation sometimes occurs on unsuitable land or without strict scientific criteria. Critics warn that trees planted in haste might not survive without proper care, and that sustainability hinges on ongoing maintenance and appropriate species selection.
A long‑term national strategy
The Chinese government frames this effort as part of a broader national strategy to expand forest cover and steward natural resources, supported by substantial public investment each year.
Official data from the State Forestry Administration indicate that since 2001, roughly 50,000 square kilometers of forest area are conserved annually in China, a scale larger than several large regions in Europe.
An average of 50,000 square kilometers of forest area is saved annually in China
Investment in reforestation has been substantial, with figures showing tens of billions of euros allocated in the early 2010s. The United Nations Green is Gold report notes growing restrictions on deforestation and heightened scrutiny of corporate practices. No other nation has built as much green space in this century, even as China remains a leading emitter of CO2. About 27 percent of its land remains dry, underscoring the ongoing challenge.
UN Green is Gold Report: file:///C:/Users/Usuario/Downloads/greenisgold_en_20160519.pdf
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