China shows degraded land can recover. The world is not paying enough, UN senior official says

China now holds a distinct position as a global reference point for large-scale land restoration. According to Yasmine Fouad, who leads the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, the progress seen across China’s northern regions proves that environmental degradation is not a permanent state.

Fouad emphasizes that China’s success stems from decades of policy consistency. By linking ecological recovery with local jobs and rural economic growth, the country transformed barren land into productive space. The Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program remains the most prominent example of this long-term commitment, having been in motion since 1978 with targets reaching into 2050.

While these results are promising, a massive financial shortfall threatens to stall similar progress elsewhere. Global pledges require billions in annual funding, yet current investments cover only a fraction of that cost. Fouad highlights an annual gap of 278 billion dollars, noting that inaction carries a much higher economic price than the initial cost of restoration.

As the UN heads toward the COP17 conference in Mongolia, the focus shifts to mobilizing capital and scaling up proven solutions. Fouad stresses that the goal is not to copy the Chinese model exactly, but to apply the principles of long-term planning and community integration. With drought frequency climbing globally, the urgency to move from ambition to active, funded implementation is at an all-time high.