North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region will further strengthen its development of an ecological civilization in the following five years.

At a press conference held on Aug 31, Luo Hongwen, an official from the Inner Mongolia Forestry and Grassland Administration, explained that Inner Mongolia will fully consider the integrity of the ecosystem, the continuity of geographic units, and the sustainability of economic and social development to achieve the systemic governance of mountains, waters, forests, fields, lakes, and sandy land.

Inner Mongolia will strive to build a forest and grass protection and restoration model known as "one line, one area and two belts". 

"One line" refers to the ecological security barrier composed of major mountain ranges, such as the Greater Hinggan Mountains, Yinshan Mountain, and Helan Mountain. 

"One area and two zones" refers to the three major strategic spaces of the Yellow River Basin, the Greater Hinggan Mountains forest belt, and the northern sand control belt.

From 2021 to 2025, Inner Mongolia plans to complete 43 million mu (2.87 million mu) of forestry construction tasks and plant 65 million mu of grass. 

By 2025, the forest coverage rate in Inner Mongolia is expected to reach 23.5 percent, while grassland vegetation coverage is expected to reach 45 percent.

The forest stock volume in Inner Mongolia is expected to reach 1.55 billion cubic meters.