China’s “Green Great Wall” continues to reduce desert expansion through large-scale ecological restoration. Experts say the project has delivered measurable environmental gains, but warn that sustained management and conservation efforts remain essential for long-term success.
China’s decades-long Three-North Shelterbelt Program, widely known as the “Green Great Wall,” has continued to slow the expansion of deserts across northern China. According to official data and researchers, more than 1,000 square kilometers of desertified land have been restored annually since 2000 through large-scale tree planting, dune stabilization, and ecological restoration.
The project, launched in 1978, has helped increase forest coverage in the targeted regions from 5% to 14% by 2022. More than 300 million people have participated in restoration efforts over the decades, improving local ecosystems while reducing the frequency of sandstorms affecting nearby communities.
Scientists, however, caution that the progress remains fragile. They say long-term success will require continued maintenance, sustainable water management, and stronger involvement from local communities to prevent desertification from returning under changing climate conditions.