{
    "success": true,
    "data": {
        "id": 1837465,
        "msgid": "chinas-great-green-wall-66-billion-trees-growing-faster-than-natural-forests-1783003848",
        "date": "2026-07-02 20:46:00",
        "title": "China's Great Green Wall: 66 Billion Trees Growing Faster Than Natural Forests",
        "author": "Indriyani Astuti",
        "source": "MEDIA_INDONESIA",
        "tags": "",
        "topic": "Environment",
        "summary": "China's massive 'Great Green Wall' project has planted 66 billion trees to combat the expansion of the Gobi Desert, with satellite data revealing these trees are growing faster than surrounding natural forests. The accelerated growth, attributed to factors like species selection and soil preparation, has sparked scientific debate about the long-term ecological sustainability of such interventions. Experts caution that the rapid growth may require significant water consumption, posing risks to groundwater levels in the arid region.",
        "content": "<p>China\u2019s ambitious project to combat desertification, known as the\n\u2018Great Green Wall\u2019, has recorded a significant achievement. According to\nthe latest data, 66 billion trees have been planted along the northern\nregion of the country to halt the expansion of the Gobi Desert.\nInteresting findings have emerged from satellite observations and field\nstudies showing that trees in this artificial forest area are growing\nfaster compared to natural forests in the surrounding regions. This\nphenomenon has triggered new discussions among scientists regarding the\neffectiveness of human intervention in large-scale ecosystem\nrestoration. The project, which began in the late 1970s, aims to create\na green belt spanning 4,500 kilometres. Although initially widely\ndoubted due to the risks of monoculture and low seedling survival rates,\ndata shows that the vegetation which successfully adapted now\ndemonstrates high productivity. Several factors identified as supporting\nthis rapid growth include species selection, soil preparation, and\ntargeted irrigation. Although this rapid growth appears to be a\ntechnical success, environmental experts still provide critical notes.\nForests that grow faster than natural forests often require greater\nwater consumption. In naturally arid regions, this raises concerns that\nit could lower groundwater levels in the long term. Furthermore, growth\nspeed does not always correlate directly with overall ecosystem health.\nNatural forests possess a more complex biodiversity structure compared\nto plantation forests. Therefore, the next challenge for China is to\nensure that this \u2018wall\u2019 is not only visually green, but also\necologically stable. China\u2019s success in planting 66 billion trees serves\nas a reference for similar projects in other parts of the world, such as\nthe Great Green Wall in Africa. This achievement proves that with\npolitical commitment and massive resources, the restoration of critical\nland on a continental scale is not impossible, although it still\nrequires adjustments to local water carrying capacity.<\/p>",
        "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/chinas-great-green-wall-66-billion-trees-growing-faster-than-natural-forests-1783003848",
        "image": ""
    },
    "sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
    "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}