The coverage rate of forest in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region rose to the current 14.28 percent from 13.81 percent in 1997, benefiting 1.44 million families of farmers and herdsmen, according to the local forestry department.

Each family was annually compensated with 550 kilograms of corn and 200 yuan (US$24) in cash on average.

The project to turn some farmland into forest and grassland began in western China's Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu provinces in October 1999 and has since spread across the country.

In recent years, Inner Mongolia has reduced the trend of environment degradation by protecting forests, preventing farmland from soil erosion, and planting trees and grass on farmland.

The area of desertification in the region declined from 5.06 million hectares in the 1950s to the current 4.2 million hectares due to the local government's efforts.

Both the farmers and herdsmen won a year-on-year rise of income by restructuring their industries, focusing on sand exploitation and promoting the growth of grasses.

(Xinhua News Agency June 30, 2003)