Green development turns SW China's Guizhou environment into its greatest strength

Photo shows terraced fields and folk houses in Jiabang township, Congjiang county, southwest China's Guizhou Province. (People's Daily Online/Tu Min)

Through years of dedicated efforts pursuing green development, southwest China's Guizhou Province has turned its sound ecological environment into its greatest strength.

In the last decade, Guizhou's forest coverage rate has increased by 20 percentage points, and a total of 16.95 million mu (1.13 million hectares) of farmlands in the province have been reforested, ranking first in the country.

Photo shows Xiaoqikong ancient bridge in Libo county, southwest China's Guizhou Province. (Photo/Yao Xiandun)

Guizhou was once the province with the largest area, most types, and severest rocky desertification in China. In 2005, the province's area of land suffering from rocky desertification was 37,600 square kilometers. By 2022, this figure decreased by 43 percent to 15,500 square kilometers, making Guizhou the top among provincial-level regions across the country for rocky desertification control.

Photo shows vast grassland in Xujiaba township, Sinan county, southwest China's Guizhou Province. (Photo courtesy of Liu Zhaoneng)

Currently, the green economy makes up 45.5 percent of Guizhou’s economy. In addition, the province boasts the highest number of UNESCO world natural heritage sites nationwide, 99 percent of days with good air quality in cities at county-level and above, and 100-percent excellent water quality of major river sections flowing out of Guizhou.

Moreover, Guizhou has repeatedly received a rating of "Excellent" for its achievements in the national battle against pollution. And 31 pieces of experience in ecological civilization reform from Guizhou have been included in China's reform achievements.