BEIJING, April 2 (Xinhua) -- Vegetation ecological quality in China has improved remarkably in recent years, a report said.

The index for vegetation ecological quality hit 68.2 last year, a record high since the beginning of this century, according to a report by the China Meteorological Administration on Tuesday.

The report attributed last year's increase to sufficient precipitation and heat and overall slighter effects of meteorological disasters.

Northern and western regions of the country have seen a notable growth of vegetation coverage since 2000, with the prevention of sandstorms greatly strengthened.

Moreover, water areas in parts of north and west China have expanded at a rapid pace, with the Miyun Reservoir, a major water source for Beijing, reaching its largest size in 2018, the report added.

China has unveiled various measures to push forward a land greening campaign, vowing to increase its forest coverage ratio to 23.04 percent and vegetation coverage ratio of grassland to 56 percent by 2020.