Chinese Afforestation Portfolio, China

The projects are restoring more than 30,000 hectares of degraded land in the provinces of Qinghai and Xinjiang, supporting a drive to create and conserve nature reserves. Qinghai Province is part of the Tibetan Plateau with an altitude of more than 3,000m above sea level. Hailed as the "roof of the world", and the "water tower of Asia", the Plateau is a natural habitat for rare animals. 

The projects are located to the east of Qinghai lake, the largest lake in China, which sits at the crossroads of several bird migration routes across Asia. In Xinjiang Province, the project is on the southwestern edge of the Taklimakan Desert. It protects local communities from encroaching desertification which already counts for 90% degradation of the land area. The projects are using a resilient mix of native tree species including; Spruce, Juniper, Pine, Poplar, Birch, Elm.

In addition to delivering emissions removals to tackle climate action (SDG 13), the project delivers a number of other benefits:

• Decent Work and Economic Growth: Thousands of permanent and temporary jobs will be created to plant and maintain the forests, providing technical skills and training to the local community.
• Life on Land: Afforestation projects can improve hydrological cycles, reduce drought and flood risk, promote soil nutrient replenishment, improve the local micro-climate and biodiversity.