China has made significant strides in ecological conservation in recent years, restoring over 100 million mu (about 6.7 million hectares) of degraded ecosystems including mountains, forests, farmlands, lakes and deserts.
With August 15 marking National Ecology Day, the country has initiated over 52 ecosystem protection and restoration projects, according to data from the Ministry of Natural Resources. This monumental effort underscores the country's dedication to combating climate change and enhancing biodiversity.
As eco-environmental conservation red lines (ECRLs) are the lifeline of environmental preservation, China has brought exceedingly fragile areas, and areas of potentially vital environmental value within the scope of the ECRL framework.
Through drawing ECRLs and drafting ecological protection and restoration plans, the country has consolidated an overall eco-environmental conservation configuration composed of Three Eco-zones and Four Shelterbelts - the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau Eco-zone, the Yellow River Eco-zone (including the Loess Plateau Ecological Barrier), the Yangtze River Eco-zone (including the Sichuan-Yunnan Ecological Barrier), and the Northeast, North, South, and Coastal Shelterbelts.
With the development of the national system of ecological security and the launch of major projects to restore key ecosystems, China's Shan-Shui Initiative comprising dozens of large-scale initiatives to restore ecosystems was honored as part of the UN's first batch of 10 World Restoration Flagships.
"Since 2016, China has witnessed notable progress in ecological conservation by restoring over 100 million mu of major ecosystems, 4.8 million mu of abandoned mining areas, nearly 1,680 kilometers of coastline and over 750,000 mu of coastal wetlands. The country's mangrove forests have expanded to about 450,000 mu," said Lu Lihua, deputy director of the Department of Territorial and Spatial Ecological Restoration with the Ministry of Natural Resources.
For the next steps, the ministry will step up efforts to further improve the integrated conservation and systematic management of mountains, rivers, forests, farmlands, lakes, grasslands and deserts.
China makes headway in ecological restoration, reviving over 6.7 mln hectares of nature
China makes headway in ecological restoration, reviving over 6.7 mln hectares of nature
China makes headway in ecological restoration, reviving over 6.7 mln hectares of nature
China makes headway in ecological restoration, reviving over 6.7 mln hectares of nature
