Chinese forests absorbed water: how billions of trees changed the country's climate.

According to ТСН: In recent decades, China has implemented numerous reforestation projects to halt land degradation and climate change. However, new research has shown that these significant efforts have led to unexpected consequences: billions of planted trees have impacted the ecosystem to such an extent that they have altered the natural water cycle, redistributing resources across the country in unpredictable ways.

The cost of the 'Great Green Wall'

One of the most well-known reforestation projects in China is the 'Great Green Wall,' initiated in 1978 to combat desertification in the northern part of the country. Thanks to this initiative, forest cover in China has increased from 10% in 1949 to over 25% today, which in area of new plantings is equivalent to the territory of Algeria.

However, scientists have found that trees not only hold the soil but also actively consume water. These forests have deep roots that draw moisture from the ground, which then evaporates into the atmosphere through the leaves (this process is called transpiration). Researchers noted that mass greening significantly accelerated this process, leading to moisture loss in the soil at the local level.

Where the water went

Data analysis from 2001 to 2020 revealed a troubling trend: in the eastern monsoon region and the northwestern arid zone, which occupy 74% of China's territory, the amount of available freshwater has decreased.

The paradox is that although the water cycle has become more active, water does not always return to where it evaporated. Winds can carry moisture as far as 7,000 kilometers.

Thus, only the Tibetan region has benefited, where precipitation and water availability have increased. Other areas, where most of the population lives and agricultural land exists, are facing a shortage of water resources. Scientists warn that future afforestation plans must take this situation into account to avoid complicating water supply issues for people and the agricultural sector.

It should be noted that mass tree plantings are also taking place in Ukraine, with 40 billion young plants appearing. After the destruction of the Kakhovska HES, a floodplain forest is being restored, although unique species of the Dnipro are simultaneously at risk of extinction.

Research shows that ecological initiatives aimed at improving the environment can have unforeseen consequences. This underscores the need for careful planning and monitoring of such projects to avoid worsening the water situation in countries implementing them. The situation in China serves as a lesson for other regions seeking to implement similar strategies for restoring natural resources.