China launched the third phase of the shelter forest project along the Yangtze and the Pearl River basins, as well as the greening project of the Taihang Mountain and the northern China plain, on Wednesday.

The State Forestry Administration said that 212.9 billion yuan ($34.7 billion) will be spent to add 216.72 million hectares of forestation in these areas. By 2020, China's forest coverage will increase by 4.1 percent.

A series of ecological conservation projects for rivers, lakes, mountains and plains have been launched since the 1980s. From 2001 to 2010, during the second phase of the project, the reconstruction of low-function forest and forestation areas was 3.14 million hectares and 117.42 million hectares respectively.

Despite the effort and amount spent, problems remain. Zhang Yongli, deputy director of the State Forestry Administration, said that soil erosion remains an issue in the Yangtze and the Pearl River basins.

"The conditions for forestation continue to deteriorate in Taihang Mountain and the North China Plain, failing to meet the requirement of local agricultural development," he said.

Zhang said that support from local governments and society as a whole are crucial for the project's success.