Wednesday marks the 40th Earth Day. China celebrated the day with the theme of "Understanding the Earth, Sustainable Development". The Ministry of Land and Resources also published a report on the nation's natural resources, and warned of a dire situation.

People across China held various campaigns to raise awareness for the environment.

In Zhejiang Province in East China, volunteers promoted energy saving and an environmentally friendly lifestyle.

Children in Jingdezhen City, Jiangxi Province, took part in a painting contest. All the kids were asked to paint their "Dream Green World".

And it wasn't just green. To keep the blue part of the earth clean, the army organized a beach clean-up along the coast of Shandong Province.

Troops in the northeastern province of Jilin went to schools and led activities for pupils.

Further environmental education came from the Ministry of Land and Resources. Its report says China is rich in natural resources, but the country's per capita average of those resources is low. Fertile land is scarce, with limited land available for sustainable development. And the geographical distribution of fresh water is highly unbalanced. The report also forecasts a dangerous shortage of major mineral production after 2010.

(CCTV April 23, 2009)