In the Media
US $ 33 Billion to be spent to protect natural forests in China
December 30, 2010
China.org
The central government will spend 220 billion yuan (US $ 33 billion) over the next decade to protect China’s natural forests. The State Council, China’s Cabinet, said on Wednesday the country will carry out the second phase of the Natural Forest Protection Program between 2011 and 2020. According to the State Council, since 2000 forest coverage has increased by 10 million hectares and the felling of 220 million cubic meters of wood stock has been avoided.
A 2006 report by Greenpeace stated that China had only a small area of intact forests left — less than 2 percent — most in the Tibet autonomous region, Yunnan province and Northeast China. The abundant varieties of plants, insects and microorganisms in natural forests can provide important eco-services, such as water and soil conservation. They can also attract and control carbon emissions better than man-made forests.
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Keywords: Asia, China, forest protection, natural forest