Tree coverage takes big strides in north

China's efforts to fight desertification in northern China have made major strides over the past 40 years, but challenges remain, according to an evaluation report by the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The Three-North Shelter Forest Program, launched in 1978, is aimed at planting trees across more than 400 million hectares in 13 provinces in northern China by 2050.

According to a report released at a news conference in Beijing on Monday by the academy, which was invited by the National Forestry and Grassland Administration to evaluate the program's achievements as a third party, an accumulated area of 46 million hectares of forest has been planted in the Three-North areas - North, Northeast and Northwest China - over the past 40 years at a total cost of 93.3 billion yuan ($13.5 billion).