A forest fire prevention skills competition is held on Wednesday.

Shanghai has created about 370,000 mu (61,050 acres) of new forested areas over the past decade with forest coverage reaching 19.42 percent of land area compared with 12.58 percent in 2011, Shanghai's greenery authorities announced on Wednesday.

The city's forest resources have witnessed a continuous increase in coverage, steady improvement in quality and enhanced functionality over this time period, according to the Shanghai Greenery and Public Sanitation Bureau.

The city also contains eight forested areas that offer residential access, transforming from previously inaccessible areas to "city oases for walking," providing more green and ecological spaces for city residents, said Xu Zhiping, director of the forestry department of the bureau.

Last year, Shanghai's ecological system recorded a combined carbon sequestration of 885,300 tons, equal to offset the carbon dioxide discharge of a five-passenger vehicle running between downtown Shanghai and Chongming District 1,400 times.

Additionally, to eliminate potential fire hazards, a competition on forest fire prevention skills was held on Wednesday in the suburban Fengxian District to test staff's skills in fire prevention and raise awareness.

The annual competition consisted of 21 teams from forest parks, green areas and suburban districts, according to the bureau.

A green area on Chongming Island

A forest fire prevention skills competition is held on Wednesday.

A forested area on Chongming Island