On June 6, 2023, Chinese President XI Jinping stressed the importance of strengthening the desertification prevention and control and advancing the key ecological projects during his visit to Bayannur City of Inner Mongolia. The Science and Technology section of People’s Daily, China’s most influential newspaper, has launched a series of reports to showcase the country’s progress and achievements in this field. The first report features the Institute of Applied Ecology (IAE) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), which has been conducting research on sand prevention and control in Horqin Sandy Land for many years.

The news report coincides with the tenth anniversary of President XI’s visit to CAS and his call for “Four Firsts” in scientific innovation. In the past decade, IAE focused on the national major needs for the construction of the “Three-North” Shelterbelt Program and building a northern ecological security barrier. The “Three-North” Shelterbelt Program, also known as the Green Great Wall, is a massive tree-planting project that aims to prevent the expansion of deserts and protect farmlands from sandstorms. IAE has completed several comprehensive evaluation and research reports on the construction and impact of the “Three-North” Shelterbelt Program, providing scientific support for the national planning and implementation of the project.