The sixth phase of the commonweal activity of environmental protection with a theme of "reclaim sandy land in Duolun County for a blue sky in Beijing" recently commenced in Duolun County of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. This program revolves around adding verdure to the Beijing Olympics and will plant 2,008 mu (330.8 acres) of "Beijing Olympic trees" this year.

 

Duolun County is 5.66 million mu in area, including 2.1 million mu of sandy land. In recent years, the blue sky of Beijing was seriously affected by frequent attacks of sandstorms. Therefore Beijing and Duolun County jointly launched the large-scale "reclaim sandy land in Duolun County for a blue sky in Beijing" commonweal activity of environmental protection on June 5, the World Environment Day, in 2001.

 

This activity has increased the county's plant coverage from less than 30 percent in 2000 to more than 80 percent at present and has effectively controlled wind erosion and desertification in the area, which helped improve the environment of Beijing.

 

(Chinanews.cn April 30, 2006)