Lessons from China on increasing forest cover
Forests are the provider of many necessary products and play a key role in providing clean air, preventing climate change and conserving biodiversity. As deforestation and forest degradation continue across much of Asia—Pacific, a paper by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) shows how China has "seen a phenomenal transformation of forests in the last thirty years".
China has taken active steps in increasing its forest cover. In the past thirty years, China has successfully stopped the loss of forests and even managed to reverse the trend. Such "forest transformation" is also evident in other countries within the region such as India, Japan, South Korea and Vietnam.
However, China's efforts are worthy of mention. It has increased its forest cover from about 157 million hectares in 1990 to about 220 million hectares in 2020. Reforestation there has been the highest among the 236 countries and regions covered by FAO's paper.
The increase in China's forest cover arises from two factors — planted forest areas and naturally regenerated forests. Between 1990 and 2020, planted forests increased by over 40 million hectares, while naturally regenerated forests increased by 22 million hectares.
Lots of tree—planting programs have ensured the growth of trees in China. Under China's Grain for Green program starting in 1999, China has successfully transformed 33.5 million hectares of croplands into tree or grass cover.
China has also invested heavily in research and development in science and technology. This has had direct and indirect impact on the forest industry. China started a three—stage forest development strategy in 2010, focusing on using digital technology to monitor, revive and develop forest areas.
And China has also made a great effort to improve the forest ecosystem and its resilience to climate change. China has achieved this by increasing public awareness, building national parks and running various reforestation programs.
According to Jong Jin Kim, Assistant Director—General and FAO Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific, "such a transformation is a result of several factors, including the rise of China as an industrial economy, clear and consistent policies, investment in key forestry programs, and the development of science and technology. "