Workers plant trees in Yuanqu county in Shanxi province, on March 11. [Photo/Shanxi Daily]

North China's Shanxi province has so far reportedly completed afforestation covering over 200 square kilometers since it started this year's spring afforestation work. 

This year, Shanxi is focusing on the environmental protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River basin and has organized the afforestation of more than 3,333 sq km. 

During the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-20), the province afforested over 15,382 sq km, established two national forest cities, 255 national forest villages and 42 counties highlighting forestry development. At the end of 2019, the province's forest coverage rate reached 23.18 percent, exceeding the national average for the first time. 

In the next five years, Shanxi plans to strive to build the environmental protection barriers in the Yellow River basin and the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, as well as biodiversity protection barriers for Zhongtiao Mountain. It will establish four forest city clusters in Taiyuan, Datong, Changzhi-Jincheng, and Linfen, as well as build environmental restoration and treatment areas in the northern and middle reaches of the Yellow River basin, the upper reaches of Fenhe River, as well as the northern and middle sections of the Taihang Mountains. 

The province aims to afforest areas of over 13,333 sq km by the end of 2025 and the forest coverage rate is expected to reach 26 percent.