As learned from a national sand prevention and control conference held in Erdos city, Inner Mongolia, the forest coverage rate in west China has maintained fast growth in recent years. The latest survey shows the forest coverage rate has risen from 9.03 percent in five years ago to 12.54 percent in west China.

In five provinces and autonomous regions in northwest China the rate has increased from 3.34 percent to 5.86 percent.

In the past five years, China has invested 82.4 bln yuan in six key forestry projects in western regions, accounting for 55 percent of total investment in forestry This has effectively protected 1.03 bln mu (15 mu=1 hectare) of natural forests, and helped build 86 national nature reserves. Sand control projects have been implemented in a total of 438 mln mu of land.

According to Zhou Shengxian, director of the State Forestry Administration, China is one of the countries that are seriously affected by desertification, with 400 mln people living in the desertification area. Therefore, China has made sand control the "top priority" in ecological construction in the west, firmly adhered to development strategy concentrating on ecological construction as well as promoted harmonious development between human and nature in west China.

By People's Daily Online