(Recast) Environmentalist lauds China's efforts in reforestation program

China's increased efforts in reforestation program has helped improve the country's forestry cover, an environment expert has said.

Peter King, a Senior Policy Advisor with the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) said on Thursday that Beijing is today amongst a few countries in the world with increased forest cover.

"From bare mountain tops as a result to deforestation, China is now a shining example of what countries need to do," King told Xinhua after the launch of the 6th Global Environment Outlook report in Nairobi.

King observed that having gone through a major flood in 1998 that caused massive suffering, the government's intervention is today paying off.

According to the expert, China's problem was blamed on massive cutting down of natural trees but through a moratorium that was put in place by the government, the once bare mountains are today green.

"The move shows that reforestation is capable of reversing the current wanton cutting down of trees once backed by good legislation," King added.

He however said that the Southeast Asian countries have to move with speed to change the current state of forestry, adding that in the last ten years, the average area deforested annually was more than one million hectares.

He noted that ground water have been depleted while coral reefs are badly damaged by El-Nino and may never recover.

The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Executive Director Achim Steiner said that the environmental change sweeping the world is occurring at a faster pace than previously thought, making it imperative that governments act now to reverse the damage being done to the planet.

"The bad news is that things are getting worse and this calls for attention from policy makers, experts and the people," Steiner added.

According to the report, the challenges exist in all regions of the globe and calls for the need for afforestation programs. Endit