BEIJING - China has recorded fewer and weaker spring sandstorms over the past two decades, after decades of efforts to curb desertification, official data released on Sunday showed.

The average number of spring sandstorms, a recurring weather hazard across northern China particularly between March and May, fell from 12.5 times a year two decades ago to 9.6 times in recent years, according to the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, which released the data to mark the International Day of Combating Sand and Dust Storms.

The decline is closely linked to years of ecological restoration efforts, including the Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program, an afforestation initiative launched in 1978 to curb desertification and improve the ecological environment in northern China.

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During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), China rehabilitated 152 million mu (10.1 million hectares) of sandy land. This year alone, the central government has allocated 27.7 billion yuan (about $4.07 billion) to support 328 restoration projects covering more than 95 million mu.

Data showed that the area of sandy land, which had expanded by an average of 5.15 million mu annually at the end of the last century, is now decreasing by an average of around 10 million mu a year. Wind erosion across China's eight major deserts and four major sandy lands has declined by about 40 percent since 2000.

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China has also stepped up cooperation with other countries through training programs, technology exchanges and joint projects, sharing its experience in combating desertification and mitigating sand and dust hazards.

The United Nations General Assembly designated July 12 as the International Day of Combating Sand and Dust Storms in 2023 and proclaimed 2025-2034 as the "United Nations Decade on Combating Sand and Dust Storms" one year later.