Greening project around Lhasa grows healthy roots

With a planned duration of 10 years, investment is expected to be more than 27.86 billion yuan ($3.9 billion), with a planned greening area of more than 137,000 hectares by 2030.

Li Baoping, an official of the Lhasa Forestry and Grassland Bureau, said the project aims to turn the capital city and its surrounding area into a greener, more ecologically friendly and livable place.

He said the greening project is divided into two phases — near-term and long-term. The near-term phase covers the 2021-25 period, focusing on urban mountain greening below an altitude of 4,300 meters, with key road greening and visible area greening along the main channel of the Lhasa River.

The long-term phase will run from 2026 to 2030 and aims to complete greening projects in other areas and related facilities. It will also work to strengthen the management of previous greening projects.

"Over the past three years, the project has created employment opportunities for local residents, whose average daily wage ranges from 230 to 280 yuan per person," he said. "Additionally, the project has helped the masses increase their incomes by 1.93 billion yuan."