China’s grassland recovery reaches historic milestone, forestry authority says

China's grassland ecology has undergone a historic shift from "overall deterioration" at the beginning of this century to "overall improvement" at present, as ecological conditions continue to recover, according to the National Forestry and Grassland Administration.

The administration released the information on Monday during the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists themed events held in China.

As one of the world's largest grassland countries, China has nearly 266.7 million hectares of grassland, the largest area globally, according to the administration.

It said the ecological functions and productivity of the country's grassland ecosystems have improved significantly in recent years. The area of healthy and sub-healthy grasslands has reached 180 million hectares, accounting for more than 70 percent of the total.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25), China restored an average of about 3.1 million hectares of degraded grassland each year, controlled grassland rodent and pest infestations across about 6.7 million hectares annually, and maintained annual fresh grass output at more than 600 million metric tons.

According to the administration, the progress reflects the country's conservation strategy of prioritizing protection while combining natural restoration with artificial rehabilitation.

China has also coordinated the integrated protection and systematic management of mountains, rivers, forests, farmlands, grasslands and deserts, while improving the top-level design for grassland conservation and restoration, intensifying restoration efforts, and implementing major ecological projects.

In addition, the country has strengthened oversight of grassland resources, fully implemented ecological compensation and reward policies, and enforced grazing bans, seasonal rest-grazing and livestock-carrying balance systems nationwide, the administration said.