China to launch new ecological restoration projects

China has stepped up ecological restoration efforts this year, using technology and cross-regional coordination to repair damaged ecosystems, with a new round of projects due to begin in the coming months.

In Zhangjiakou, north China's Hebei province, researchers are using root-guiding tubes to help tree seedlings develop deeper root systems and access groundwater. The method reduces reliance on flood irrigation, traditionally used for tree planting in sandy areas.

The technique has raised the three-year survival rate of trees on nearly 667 hectares of sandy land from around 35 percent under conventional planting methods to 92 percent.

"The roots have grown two to three meters deep and can now reach groundwater. The seedlings can find water on their own by sending their roots deeper into the soil," said Xu Zhenhua, vice president of the Hebei Academy of Forestry and Grassland Sciences.

Restoration work is also under way in the southern island province of Hainan, where ecological corridors are taking shape to reconnect fragmented stretches of tropical rainforest. Workers are planting native species, including agarwood and Chinese plum trees, on unused land to restore links between forest habitats.

"Under six tailored restoration approaches, we are planting 13 native tree species. We expect to complete the project by the end of September. The work will help reconnect fragmented parts of the tropical rainforest ecosystem and allow the rainforest to reclaim this space," said Liu Xianyong of the Wuzhishan branch of the Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park Administration.

Later this year, China plans to launch a new batch of landscape conservation and restoration projects in key ecological zones, including the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau and the Yellow and Yangtze river basins.

The central government will also refine financial incentives for such projects and, for the first time, allow provinces to submit joint applications for funding, supporting coordinated restoration across provincial boundaries.

China to launch new ecological restoration projects

Lashed by Typhoon Dolphin’s outer bands, Shanghai endured torrential rains and gale‑force winds Sunday, unleashing urban flooding that spurred emergency crews to drain swamped streets and residential areas.

Starting early Sunday, Shanghai was drenched by heavy downpours that flooded more than 100 road sections across Pudong, Huangpu, Changning and Xuhui. The severe waterlogging stalled vehicles and disrupted traffic, prompting authorities to mobilize rescue teams.

The municipal water authority stepped up coordinated drainage through rivers, sluice gates and pump stations, while the Shanghai Municipal Investment Group deployed 32 mobile pump trucks to support intensive relief operations across the city.

The severe weather also caused dangerous water backflow in older residential compounds and low-lying zones. In one such incident in Songjiang District, severe flooding was reported in the underground areas of a residential building, posing safety risks such as electrical short circuits and power leaks from damp appliances.

Upon receiving the emergency call, the Songjiang Fire Department rushed to the scene. After assessing the situation, rescue personnel quickly deployed high-capacity water pumps from their fire engines, managing to drain 600 tons of floodwater per hour into a nearby river.

As of the latest update, surface water on the roads at the compound has been successfully cleared, while drainage operations in the underground spaces are still underway.

Typhoon Dolphin, the 13th of the year, made landfall at Yuhuan of Taizhou City, east China's Zhejiang Province, at around 17:30 on Sunday, according to the National Meteorological Center (NMC).

Shanghai hit by torrential rains, flooding from Typhoon Dolphin