China's Great Green Wall expands leaf canopy faster than natural forests

Launched in 1978, China’s Three‑North Shelterbelt Program—known as the Great Green Wall—has planted about 66 billion trees across the Gobi and Taklamakan deserts to curb desertification, reduce dust storms and restore degraded land. Satellite data show that the project’s planted forests now increase their leaf‑area index roughly 66 % faster than China’s natural forests, a speed driven by the youth of the plantations, the use of fast‑growing species such as poplar and eucalyptus, intensive management and rising atmospheric CO₂ levels.

The rapid canopy growth has helped raise forest cover in the region from about 5 % in 1978 to 14 % in 2023, contributing to a one‑fifth drop in sand‑storm frequency between 2009 and 2014 and improving air quality in downstream cities like Beijing. Researchers caution, however, that faster growth does not resolve the broader climate crisis; long‑term ecosystem health will still depend on biodiversity, sustainable forest management and the protection of existing natural forests. The program is slated to continue until 2050, with plans for an additional 34 billion trees.

While the project demonstrates the potential of large‑scale reforestation for carbon capture and land restoration, experts emphasise that planting alone cannot substitute for comprehensive climate action.