March 21 marks the 12th International Day of Forests and the theme for 2024 is “Forests and Innovation: New Solutions for a Better World”. Suzhou has attained a forest coverage of 20.56 percent, with a forest area of 1.918 million mu (about 128,000 hectares), according to Suzhou Forestry Station. The city has planned to implement 46 key afforestation projects this year.
Forests, which are referred to as the lungs of the Earth, can not only help regulate the climate, conserve water and improve air quality, but also provide people with timber, food and medicines.
Suzhou has always attached great importance to the cultivation and protection of forests. It has witnessed remarkable growth of tree coverage with the implementation of green projects since 2003 when the municipal Party committee and the municipal government made the decision to speed up the construction of a green city.
The city plans to complete afforestation of 27,000 mu (1,800 hectares) in 2024. It will implement 46 afforestation projects to increase its green space and better protect its environment.