BEIJING - Adopting a scientific approach is of great importance amid China's efforts to promote high-quality afforestation, Head of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration Guan Zhiou said Thursday.

Guan made the remarks when commenting on the guideline on adopting scientific measures in China's afforestation work, which was issued recently. He said it helps enhance the systematicness, synergy, and effectiveness of ecological protection and restoration in an interview with Xinhua.

Highlighting 14 measures of scientific afforestation, the guideline urged efforts in fields including planning, land arrangement, utilization of water resources, selection of green species, vegetation restoration, returning farmland to forest and grassland, and innovative evaluations.

Guan stressed efforts in ramping up forest and grassland cultivation and restoration to protect the authenticity and integrity of natural vegetation. Efforts should also accelerate the establishment of ecological product-value realization and innovating the investment and financing system of land greening.

Afforestation work will focus on forest care and restoration of degraded forests in the southern, eastern, and middle regions of the country, and on expanding the green areas and enhancing the restoration of forests and grass vegetation in the western and northern regions, he said.

Equal attention will go to quantity and quality in setting land-greening targets, Guan said. He added that the proportion of artificial forests would moderately reduce, while forest conservation and the restoration of degraded forests will be enhanced, starting this year.

Efforts will also coordinate the protection and restoration of mountains, rivers, forests, farmland, lakes, grass, and sand to make steady and orderly progress in returning farmland to forests and grassland, he said.