{
  "id": 663152,
  "title": "Man devotes over 40 years to afforestation in SW China's Yunnan",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/12/man-devotes-over-40-years-to-afforestation-in-sw-chinas-yunnan",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-12T12:42:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "IOL",
    "slug": "iol",
    "url": "https://iol.co.za/business/window-on-china/2026-08-12-man-devotes-over-40-years-to-afforestation-in-sw-chinas-yunnan/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Zhao Peixian, a 62-year-old forestry engineer from Yunnan Province, has been dedicated to afforestation efforts in the Jinsha River valley for over four decades. Starting in 1984, he pioneered a unique afforestation technique and selected tree varieties suited to the region's dry, hot climate. The county's forest coverage rate plummeted to a historic low of 5.2% in 1985 due to barren hillsides, strong winds, and thin topsoil. Zhao's innovative trench planting method improved soil moisture retention by over 40%, but early saplings frequently withered in the dry climate. After 2000, Yuanmou worked with forestry academies to breed climate-suited species, including Indian rosewood. Over nine years, researchers determined the tree's suitability for the region. In recent years, five local tree varieties have earned provincial-level certification, and forest coverage has risen to 31.11%. Zhao remains committed to protecting the ecological barrier of the Yangtze River's upper reaches, envisioning a future where the dry-hot valley is green.",
  "summary": "Since starting work in 1984, Zhao Peixian has helped pioneer a unique technique for afforestation and selected tree varieties suited to the region, gradually restoring vegetation to hills once stripped bare.",
  "key_points": [
    "Zhao Peixian, 62, dedicated to afforestation in Yunnan for 40+ years",
    "Invented trench planting method boosting soil moisture retention 40%",
    "Forest coverage increased from 5.2% to 31.11%, with 5 local varieties certified"
  ],
  "editors_take": "Zhao Peixian's decades-long afforestation effort has transformed the Jinsha River valley, shifting forest coverage from a historic low of 5.2% to 31.11%, securing the ecological barrier of the Yangtze River's upper reaches.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}