Dubai: China has emerged as the first country worldwide to achieve zero growth in land degradation and has become the largest contributor to global afforestation, with a net reduction of 65 million mu (about 4.33 million hectares) of desertified land in the past four decades, said the National Forestry and Grassland Administration (NFGA) on Monday. According to Emirates News Agency, senior officials from the NFGA emphasised China's advancements in combating desertification. They highlighted the Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Programme (TSFP), an extensive afforestation initiative to establish a protective green barrier across northern China. Since June 2023, the NFGA has dedicated significant resources to the Three-North project, with a total of 32 billion yuan (about US$4.4 billion) allocated as central government investment in 2024. So far this year, the administration has overseen the execution of 287 priority projects of afforestation on 57 million mu (about 3.8 million hectares) of desertified land. C hina, one of the countries most affected by desertification, has made significant strides over the past 40 years, particularly since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in 2012. Currently, 53 percent of the treatable desertified areas in China are under effective control, reflecting a positive trend of overall improvement and accelerated recovery.