The “Three-North” Shelterbelt Forest Program, launched in 1978 and now updated for 2025–2050, is China’s largest ecological restoration initiative, spanning 13 provinces and over 4.4 million square kilometers. The Plan highlights the strategic significance of the Program for national ecological security and outlines goals through 2030 and 2050, including increasing forest and grassland coverage, restoring degraded ecosystems, and reducing sandstorms and water-soil loss, and enhancing ecological security in northern China. It emphasizes integrated management of mountains, rivers, forests, farmlands, lakes, grasslands, and deserts, with a focus on combating desertification and building a robust ecological barrier.
The Plan provides a comprehensive framework for ecological restoration across 13 provinces and four major ecological zones in northern China. It outlines key tasks such as desertification control, forest and grassland restoration, wetland protection, water and soil conservation, and the development of ecological industries—including specialty forest fruits, forage grass cultivation, and eco-cultural tourism. The Plan also stresses science-based governance, innovation in management models (such as photovoltaic sand control), enhanced monitoring, and stronger institutional, financial, and policy support. Emphasizing coordinated national and local action, the Plan calls for broad public participation and international cooperation to build a robust ecological barrier in northern China.