The government is now more careful in which species it selects to plant, and more inclined to make room for natural forests to expand, rather than create artificial plantations. There are signs that China has learned from past mistakes, when trees were planted - often by scattering seeds from military aircraft - with no consideration for existing ecosystems or weather conditions, meaning many failed to take root. "The government and the farmers should work together to find a way to make money and ensure the water levels are sustainable at the same time," said Ma of the Forest Stewardship Council. Gradually the surviving vineyards would be replaced with trees, a manager said, a move that would affect hundreds of farmers. Officials on the estate said hundreds of staff from government agencies in Dunhuang would arrive soon with the aim of planting 31,000 trees on 93 acres of land in just four days. Villagers were also accused of illegally felling trees, and authorities were ordered to reclaim the illegally occupied land. In March, a government investigation team found Yangguan had violated regulations by allowing vineyards to be planted in protected forest. Leaseholders eager to plant lucrative but water-intensive grapes levelled large sections of forest in 2017. One such state-backed forest farm designed to repair the region's overworked ecosystem is the 4,200-acre Yangguan project, on the outskirts of the city of Dunhuang, which has proven controversial. "But it is very important to say that climate change is something very new." "They have been living in similar conditions for generations," said Ma Lichao, China country director for the Forest Stewardship Council, a nonprofit organization promoting sustainable forest management. The sand that used to blow in from the east and northeast was stopped."Įxperts say China's reforestation work has become more sophisticated over the years, the government benefiting from decades of experience and able to mobilize thousands of volunteers to plant trees, emulating front-line pioneers like the Wangs.īut the fight is far from over, they add, with climate change set to worsen conditions for farmers living in the arid north. "After 1999, when the tree-planting sped up, things got much better," Wang Yinji said, referring to the state-led reforestation initiative. Hongshui is dominated by a large state-owned commercial forest estate called Toudunying. Trees have become a major part of the local economy.
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