CHENGDU - Tibetan areas in Southwest China's Sichuan province have received substantial funds for environmental protection, local authorities said Thursday.

About 677 million yuan ($100 million) will be given to help protection projects, with more than 563 million yuan allocated to treat desertification in 20 counties and about 114 million yuan for irrigation in three other counties, according to the provincial forestry department.

The projects are expected to be completed by the end of 2017, which authorities believe will improve forest acreage.