The Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program (TSFP) is a large-scale ecological project of artificial afforestation in north, northeast and northwest China to prevent desertification.

　　According to the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, up to now, the TSFP has afforested 32 million hectares, and the forest coverage rate in the areas under the program increased from 5.05 percent in 1978 to 13.84 percent in 2023. The ecological and environmental quality in the TSFP regions shows a stable and good trend.

　　The TSFP, an ecological security barrier in the north, known as China's unbreakable green "Great Wall", is a strategic project to promote regional economic advancement, accelerate poverty alleviation and achieve sustainable economic and social development.

　　Sci-tech innovation has promoted the greening and has significantly increased the carbon sink of forests and grass, enhancing the region's ability to cope with climate change.

　　Win-win between ecology and economy

　　China has vast sandy desert land that is sparsely populated, yet rich in wind and solar energy resources. The Inner Mongolia autonomous region has implemented an integrated desertification control system with wind and photovoltaic power generation. It boosts industries and farmers while expanding greenery in ecologically fragile sandy areas.

　　A new energy base is coming up on the northern edge of the Kubuqi Desert in Inner Mongolia. It has a total investment of 11.5 billion RMB, covers over 300 square kilometers, and has an installed photovoltaic capacity of 13 GW. This is a key desertification prevention and control project in Ordos city.

　　Li Kai, an official from the Dalat Banner, Ordos, said the project directly mitigates 33.3 square kilometers of desertification, combining power generation with planting cash crops through an innovative model.

　　The 24 square kilometers of photovoltaic panels not only block the wind and sand, but also block direct sunlight and reduce the evaporation of soil water, enabling crops to grow in their shade, and achieving a win-win situation of ecological and economic benefits, Li said.

　　Intelligent sand control and forest protection

　　On the basis of protecting the existing forest grassland vegetation, the TSFP is being built with five goals: controlling the wind and sand, soil erosion control, forest protection in agricultural areas, developing forest resources, and economic development.

　　Science and technology plays a strong supporting role in the construction of the TSFP.

　　The intelligent water-saving supporting technology model developed by the Chinese Academy of Forestry (CAF) has introduced the "Internet of Water" theory and technology. The team developed an automatic soil moisture monitoring technology based on air (multi-mode communication) and ground (field sensing) integration, forming a water-saving intelligent irrigation control system.

　　Intelligent sand control machinery is another project developed by the CAF. The research team integrated sensors, the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System, remote sensing technology and real-time data processing capabilities into the sand control operation, establishing a national mechanization operation service team for sand control.

　　These intelligent technologies support remote operation, greatly lessening human resources requirements while improving the safety and effectiveness of sand control. This is improving production efficiency and quality, reducing costs and saving labor.