National Forestry and Grassland

According to the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, China's desertified land is now shrinking by an average of 10 million mu (about 667,000 hectares) annually, compared with an annual expansion of 5.15 million mu at the end of the last century. Soil wind erosion across China's major deserts and sandy lands has fallen by about 40% since 2000, while forest and grassland coverage in the Three-North Shelterbelt Program region has risen to 40.76%. These gains reflect broader improvements in the ecological health of northern China's fragile landscapes.