Shanghai's Pudong invests 20 bln yuan in ecological projects

SHANGHAI, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) -- Shanghai's Pudong New Area on Thursday began construction on 85 ecological projects with a total investment of almost 20.42 billion yuan (about 2.93 billion U.S. dollars).

The ecological projects include 10 greening projects improving the environmental quality of public spaces, and a series of water conservancy projects, according to Pudong's ecological environment bureau.

"Investment in ecological civilization construction will not only improve the environment but also promote regional economic development," said Hu Xu, an official with the bureau.

Over the past two years, 64 ecological projects have been completed in the Pudong New Area. Currently, the forest coverage rate in the area has reached 18.83 percent.