China has made positive progress in ecological protection and restoration, according to a report on state-owned natural resource assets submitted to the 25th session of the 14th National People's Congress Standing Committee on Tuesday.
Zhang Wentong, vice-minister of natural resources, delivered the report.
According to the report, from 2021 to last year, more than 5.47 million hectares had been protected and restored under an integrated program covering mountains, rivers, forests, farmlands, lakes, grasslands and deserts.
Meanwhile, about 223,000 hectares of abandoned mine land were restored and remediated. About 55,333 hectares of coastal wetlands were rehabilitated. Comprehensive soil erosion control was accelerated, newly bringing more than 340,000 square kilometers of land under comprehensive soil erosion control.
Last year, under the Three-North Shelterbelt Program, the green sand-blocking belt around the Taklimakan Desert fully closed.
Last year, China completed national land greening tasks covering about 9.7 million hectares, the report said.
Forest coverage and forest stock have both grown for 40 consecutive years, while comprehensive grassland vegetation coverage has remained stable at above 50 percent.
The report said China will further strengthen the implementation and management of the ecological conservation red lines, and continue to implement major projects for the protection and restoration of key ecosystems and for the integrated protection and restoration of mountains, rivers, forests, farmlands, lakes, grasslands, and deserts.
