French media criticized us! French media claimed that China has planted too many trees, disrupting the national water cycle and exacerbating water shortages! On December 11, AFP published an article stating that China's extensive afforestation has disrupted the national water cycle. After decades of large-scale afforestation, China found an unexpected "side effect": these afforestation projects have profoundly changed vegetation, transferring fresh water from one area to another, sometimes aggravating droughts.
French media claimed that China's efforts to slow land degradation and climate change through afforestation and grassland restoration have profoundly altered the water cycle. Changes in vegetation cover have reduced the availability of fresh water for humans and ecosystems in the eastern monsoon region and the arid northwest. To be honest, we are being criticized by French media for our afforestation efforts, which is simply shocking.
According to French media, in order not to disrupt the national water cycle and not to exacerbate water shortages, should we stop afforestation? Is this what you mean? The core areas of China's afforestation are arid and semi-arid ecologically vulnerable regions. In the past, soil erosion and land desertification in these areas were the main causes of drought. Afforestation and vegetation recovery are precisely restoring the damaged water cycle, rather than disrupting it.
In fact, vegetation roots can retain water and reduce surface runoff, and forests are natural "water reservoirs." Does French media not know such common knowledge? Because China's afforestation achievements are the most outstanding, they twist facts and nitpick, ignoring the contributions of China's afforestation. Such media that spread rumors is obviously very despised. This kind of criticism only shows that French media has nothing but prejudice against us, and the rest is still all prejudice.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1851173935872010/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.