Guizhou, one of the poorest provinces in China, has afforested more than 240 million hectares of trees in the past 15 years, according to a media interview during the two sessions on March 8. The new forest areas have helped Guizhou attain sustainable environmental development according to officials.
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Li Ping, deputy director of the Guizhou Foretry Department. [Photo/Zhang Li] |
Guizhou has carried out a plan to increase forest coverage in the province by 1 percent each year since 2000; by 2014 the province's total forest coverage reached 49 percent.
"A comparative solid foundation has been built for the development of green Guizhou," said Li Ping, deputy director of the Guizhou Forestry Department.
The government of Guizhou faces a challenge of repopulating forest areas in 69 million hectares of barren mountains.
"Chinese President Xi Jinping, put forward the proposal that ecological development should make gains alongside economic development, which motivates Guizhou's action plan on green projects," said Li.
The Guizhou Party committee and provincial government have adopted a range of significant actions and measures to boost Guizhou’s green environment, which have received wide attention. Guizhou has achieved success in its efforts to protect and revive its green areas, becoming the second ecological civilization demonstration pilot and the hosting the ecological civilization construction of Guizhou conference.
Nine forestry 'red lines' have so-far been adopted, said Li, adding that "Guizhou has put forest, wetland and wild animals and plants into the red line for protection".
"The development of green Guizhou, in the words of ordinary people, 'makes mountains greener, air fresher and people's life richer,'" said Li.
