China now an intl model for tackling desertification

"China has taken the lead in achieving the goal of zero growth in land degradation, becoming the world's largest contributor to afforestation and an international model for combating desertification," it said.

The release particularly highlighted a significant transformation brought about by the Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program in the past 40 years.

The project has not only halted the spread of deserts but has also expanded vegetated areas into the desert, fostering economic development in the process, it underscored.

As of now, the project has afforested 32 million hectares, restored over 85.3 million hectares of degraded grassland, and effectively treated 44.7 million hectares of land plagued by water and soil erosion, as revealed by the administration.

The forest coverage in regions enveloped by the significant project has reached 13.84 percent, compared with 5.05 percent in 1977, it revealed, adding that 61 percent of areas suffering from water and soil loss in these regions has been effectively treated.