China's desert area decreased by 1,283 sq km in 2007 due to a US$2 billion government reforestation effort in the country's arid northwest, AFP reported. Reversing desertification is a notable turnaround from the late 1990s, when China lost nearly 3,500 sq km to desertification annually. Despite the progress, forests cover only 18.2% of China's land, compared with a global average of 30%.
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