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China Planted 78 Billion New Trees-and Seriously Messed Up Its Water Cycle
Yahoo • • world
Key Points:
- China's large-scale reforestation efforts, including the Three-North Shelterbelt project completed in 2024, have significantly increased forest coverage from 10% in 1949 to about 25% in 2024.
- A 2025 study reveals that these efforts have altered China's hydrology by increasing evapotranspiration, leading to shifts in precipitation that have increased water availability in the Tibetan Plateau while reducing it in eastern and northwestern regions.
- The study highlights that these changes affect around 74% of China's land area, with northern regions facing water scarcity despite housing 46% of the population and over half of the arable land.
- Different land cover transitions, such as grasslands turning into forests, have varied impacts on evapotranspiration, precipitation, and water availability, sometimes exacerbating water shortages.
- Researchers emphasize the importance of considering these hydrological impacts in future reforestation and land management plans to ensure sustainable water and land resource management in China.
