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More than 22 billion yuan (2.65 billion U.S.dollars) is to be invested in five major ecological projects in the next decade to protect Beijing and Tianjin from natural adversities such as sandstorms.

The projects will include sand control, reverting arable land to pastures and forests, water conservancy, afforestation and protection of forest resources.

Most of the projects would be situated inside Hebei province, the neighbor of both Beijing and Tianjin municipalities, according to sources from Hebei Provincial Bureau of Forestry.

Surrounding Beijing and Tianjin, the province's deteriorating ecological situation has directly affected the two north China municipalities, including frequent sandstorms in Beijing.

The sources noted that 14.5 percent of Hebei province's land is being desertified. Zhangjiakou, the Bashang-Baxia area of Chengde city, and the lower reaches of Yongding River, all in northern part of Hebei Province, constitute major sources of sandstorms in Beijing and Tianjin.

Under the plan, 24 counties under the jurisdiction of Zhangjiakou and Chengde cities alone will return 574,200 hectares of arable land to forest, afforest 574,200 ha. of wasteland, plant1.23 million ha. of trees, and harness 2.94 million ha. of grassland and 6,090 square kilometers of small river valleys in the next 10 years.

Experts hold that the completion of the projects will help form a sound greenbelt to help contain sandstorms in Beijing and Tianjin.