Xinglongzhao Forest Farm. Here the underground water layer is shallow and in low-lying areas which are quite frequent in this region, superficial clay layers are found near the soil surface. In the driest parts, it is now possible, with the protection of - - Afforestation, Forestry Research, Planning and Development. in the Three-Northern Regions: GCP/CPR/009/BEL. Since 1978 China has been implementing a massive rehabilitation programme aimed at afforestation of more than 35 million ha. over a 73-year period in the arid and sub-arid belt of Northwest, North and Northeast China, the so-called Three-North Region. The