China's Great Green Wall: 66 Billion Trees Planted, 34 Billion More Planned by 2050 to Combat Desertification and Absorb Carbon

China's Three-North Shelterbelt Program, known as the Great Green Wall, has planted an estimated 66 billion trees since 1978 to slow the advance of the Gobi and Taklamakan deserts. The project recently completed a 3,046-kilometer green belt around the Taklamakan Desert, which now absorbs more carbon than it releases, according to satellite data. However, the overall plan is only about two-thirds complete, with 34 billion more trees targeted by 2050. New research shows planted forests in the program are increasing leaf cover faster than natural forests, though the advantage is partly due to younger tree age and management practices like selecting fast-growing species. Critics note challenges including low tree survival rates, groundwater depletion, and vulnerability to pests in monoculture stands. Despite these issues, China's forest coverage has risen from about 10% to over 25% since 1949, and desertified land has slightly decreased, indicating slow but measurable progress in one of the largest ecological engineering projects in history.