Shanghai to expand greenery with 'forest chief' mechanism

Shanghai will increase its forest coverage and per capita greenery area by implementing a "forest chief" mechanism, municipal officials told a news conference on Thursday.

Deng Jianping, director of the city's greenery and public sanitary bureau, said the forest coverage in Shanghai aims to reach 19.5 percent by 2025 and 23 percent by 2035.

The target for per capita greenery area is 9.5 square meters by 2025 and 13 square meters by 2035.

To achieve those goals, Shanghai will implement the "forest chief" mechanism, which was urged to be rolled out around the country by the general offices of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council in January.

The mechanism sets up an accountability system which requires the main leaders of the government at municipal, county and township levels to be responsible for the greenery projects, ecological restoration and forest protection, among other related tasks.

Inspections and evaluations are also in the mechanism, the results of which will be taken into account for the officials' annual review.

Gu Xiaojun, the deputy director of the bureau, said many of the forests will undergo landscape and facility upgrade and then opened to the public with necessary safety controls.

Chairs and trails have already been added to two large forests in Jinshan and Qingpu districts, and six more forests with an area over 66 hectares will be upgraded with such facilities and open for public leisure use by the end of this year, Gu added.