Afforestation improves climate, biodiversity, and wellbeingIn the middle of the Hexi corridor, where the Qinghai Tibet Plateau and Mongolia Plateau meet, lies an area characterized by diverse landscapes like mountains, forests, grasslands, wetlands, and barrens. There, the project area comprises of 3,859,206 ha including 60 towns and 836 village committees that mainly use the land for agriculture.
Supporting this project, Lenzing AG is contributing to the afforestation of 23,397 ha barren land. This is being realized by planting native species (e.g., willow, oleaster, elm) to increase CO2 sequestration and contribute to local sustainable development. In 2016, the start of the project activities involved about 20,378 residents in planting trees, installing water tubes, and the maintenance of the trees. The forest will help to adjust the hydrological cycle, reduce drought, promote soil nutrient cycle, protect fragile habitats, and improve climatic conditions.
Original project supplier: Climate Impact Partners
How does reforestation/afforestation/revegetation contribute to climate action?Forests are essential in our lives and are among the planet's most important carbon sinks. Besides providing habitats for wildlife, they filter the air, stabilise and protect soils, store water, and contribute to the balance of our climate. However, global forest areas have declined sharply in recent decades due to increasing settlements, agriculture, illegal logging, and raw material extraction. Afforestation, reforestation, and revegetation activities significantly increase a forest’s carbon storage capacity in both the biomass of the forest and in the soil. The storage capacity varies according to the tree species, age, and location. Experts distinguish these activities in the following way:
Afforestation converts non-forested areas into forest ones. Reforestation restores forest areas that have been damaged or deforested in the past. Revegetation increases the vegetation through planting trees, shrubs, or other plants.
