BEIJING, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- During the past five years, a total of 89,333 hectares of forest were added to Beijing, local authorities said Tuesday.

According to Beijing Gardening and Greening Bureau, the city's current forestry coverage rate is 43 percent, compared to 38.6 percent five years ago.

The city newly planted 11,867 hectares of forest in 2017.

Deng Naiping, head of the bureau, said the city would put more efforts in projects such as expanding wetlands, returning farmlands to forests, and restoring the ecosystems of abandoned mining mountains.

In 2018, the city plans to plant 15,333 hectares of trees and upgrade 4,467 hectares of forests.