A trial project to build a shelter belt around the reservoir of the Three Gorges Project, a massive hydroelectric project on the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, is under way in Yunyang County, southwest China's Chongqing Municipality.

Based on the trial project, the Chinese government will pour 1.7 billion yuan (US$205 million) to improve local ecological environment within the next three years, according to the forestry department of Chongqing.

The project area will cover 26 districts and counties of Chongqing and central China's Hubei Province.

According to the plan, 48,800 hectares of reclaimed land will be returned to forests, more than 11,900 hectares of barren hills will be covered with trees and 7,200 hectares of mountains will be fenced up for tree planting, and more than 50,900 hectares of farmland will be built in the areas closely around the Three Gorges reservoir between 2004 and 2007.

The Three Gorges reservoir began storing water a year ago and the water level is expected to reach an altitude of 175 meters by 2009 when the whole project is completed, with reservoir's storage capacity planned at 39.3 billion cubic meters.

The gigantic Three Gorges project began construction in 1993 and is scheduled to be completed in 2009. Upon completion, it will be equipped with 26 generators which produce 84.7 billion kwh of electricity a year to ease power shortages across the country, especially in the central and eastern regions.

(Xinhua News Agency August 25, 2004)