Beijing to add more urban green space in 2018

BEIJING - Beijing will create 600 hectares of urban green space in 2018 to improve the city's living conditions, local authorities said Tuesday.

The figure will increase the city's green coverage rate to 48.3 percent, compared to 46.2 percent in 2012, according to Beijing gardening and greening bureau.

During the past five years, a total of 4,022 hectares of urban green space were created in the capital, including 150 urban leisure parks, said Deng Naiping, head of the bureau.

In 2018, Beijing will build five urban forests, 21 small green spaces, 10 leisure parks and 100 km of healthy green ways.

Deng also said about 89,333 hectares of forest have been added to Beijing since 2012. The city's current forestry coverage rate is 43 percent, compared to 38.6 percent five years ago.

Deng said the city would put more efforts in projects such as expanding wetlands, returning farmlands to forests, and restoring the ecosystems of abandoned mining mountains.

In 2018, the city plans to plant 15,333 hectares of trees and upgrade 4,467 hectares of forests.