--- SEARCH ---
WEATHER
CHINA
INTERNATIONAL
BUSINESS
CULTURE
GOVERNMENT
SCI-TECH
ENVIRONMENT
LIFE
PEOPLE
TRAVEL
WEEKLY REVIEW
Learning Chinese
Learn to Cook Chinese Dishes
Exchange Rates


Hot Links
China Development Gateway
Chinese Embassies


Forests Saving Nature Reserve from Torrential Rains
The scenic Zhangjiajie nature reserve in central-south China's Hunan province is almost free from floods and mudslides -- even during this month's torrential rains -- thanks to an extensive afforestation program.

Local water conservation authorities said that since June 18, the nationally-renowned reserve area in Zhangjiajie, which boast 98 percent forest coverage, was hit by a couple of downpours.

Dozens of local villages reported more than 200 millimeters of rainfall within 36 hours, and tourist numbers, nevertheless, have remained high since the rain did not cause any disturbances.

Sources said the local government returned about 33,000 hectares (81,543 acres) of farmland to forest and carried out afforestation over 149,000 hectares (368,197 acres) in the past decade, raising forest coverage by 20 percent from 10 years ago.

At the same time, biogas has replaced firewood for cooking and heating in the area, thus saving a lot of trees from the axe.

To date, the city has invested approximately 50 million yuan (US$6 million) in drilling some 30,000 gas bores.

(People’s Daily June 28, 2002)

China's Grain-for-environment Program on Full Swing
Buildings Demolished to Restore Natural Beauty in World Heritage
China Names More National Geological Parks
World Heritage Sites Need More Protection
Ban on Logging Saves Forests
Farmers Plant Grass, Not Grains
Print This Page
|
Email This Page
About Us SiteMap Feedback
Copyright © China Internet Information Center. All Rights Reserved
E-mail: webmaster@china.org.cn Tel: 86-10-68326688