World Bank Loans Help Afforestation in North China"We no longer have to eat meals in sandstorms," said Li Yushuang, a man almost in his 70's, whose village planted trees by using World Bank loand in areas previously affected by desertification.Having lived on the bank of the local Zhanghe River for generations, Li and his family suffered from sandstorms. Wind with sand used to destroy his farmland. In 1990 officials and experts from the World Bank came to the region to investigate the financing of afforestation programs in Li's village and in more than one thousand other villages affected by sandstorms in north China's Hebei Province. Over the past decade, US$27 million in World Bank' loans were spent carrying out three phases of tree planting in 60 poor counties and cities in mountainous and southern areas in the province, according to the provincial forest department. The forest coverage rate in the areas increased by about five percent. Local farmers transformed 18,000 ha. of land and planted trees on more than 100,000 ha of land. The farmers thereby increased their annual income by 70 million yuan (US$8.4 million) on the restored land. "We protect trees just like protecting our own eyes," Li said, whose half a hectare of land could yield 4,500 kilograms of crops a year after being transformed. The province will implement the World Bank's fourth-phase program next year which is expected to bring the afforested area in the province reach 160,000 ha. |
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