China's Three-North program, launched in 1978, is one of the world's largest ecological restoration projects. Its primary goal is to plant 4,500 kilometers of windbreak forest strips to slow the spread of the Gobi desert, which has been encroaching on arid and semi-arid regions. The program is expected to be completed by 2050 and is divided into three main stages and eight engineering phases. As of 2026, China is currently funding the sixth phase of the project. Covering nearly half of the country's territory, the program focuses on the northern, northwestern, and northeastern regions, which contain 84 percent of China's desertified land. The long-term aim is to increase forest coverage in these areas from 5.05 percent in 1977 to around 15 percent by 2050. According to the latest reports from China's Ministry of Forestry and Grassland, the program has resulted in the development of 320,000 square kilometers of wooded areas and over 850,000 square kilometers of grasslands. This has raised the forest coverage rate in the affected areas to 13.84 percent. In 2024, the central budget allocated 12 billion yuan (approximately 1.7 billion U.S. dollars) specifically for the program, later increased by an additional 32 billion yuan for afforestation efforts. Despite these investments, the project faces significant challenges, including the depletion of groundwater resources. Certain tree species, such as poplars, require large amounts of water, and in areas like the Minqin district, groundwater levels have reportedly dropped by 6 meters due to extensive tree planting. Another challenge is the vulnerability of monoculture plantations—large areas planted with a single species—to insect infestations. In some regions, 86 percent of trees have been destroyed by pests. While some scientists argue that fast-growing species like pines or poplars are more effective in the short term for stabilizing sand, Chinese authorities and scientists are increasingly adopting a more ecological approach. They are promoting hybrid vegetation that includes a mix of trees, shrubs, and grasses to create more natural and sustainable ecosystems. Despite these efforts, China's desert coverage rate was still 26.8 percent in 2024, a slight decrease from 27.2 percent a decade earlier. However, the long-term sustainability of the project remains uncertain, particularly in regions like Gansu and Ningxia, where groundwater availability is a growing concern. Balancing ecological restoration with resource conservation continues to be a key challenge for the Three-North program as it moves toward its 2050 completion date.