5th World Congress of Biosphere Reserves opens in Hangzhou

The 5th World Congress of Biosphere Reserves (WCBR), the largest in its history, commenced on Monday in Hangzhou, the capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, highlighting China's efforts and progress in biodiversity and human-nature interactions.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) organizes this congress once every decade. This year marks the first edition in Asia, and it has attracted 4,000 delegates from over 150 countries and regions.

Following the opening ceremony held at the Hangzhou International Expo Center on Monday morning, the four-day congress will address its theme of "Shaping a Sustainable Future for People and Nature. " There are 60 side events and 16 parallel sessions, along with thematic exhibitions, facilitating diverse forms of knowledge sharing and exchange on biodiversity conservation.

Key topics will include the conservation of ancient trees, the protection of Yangtze finless porpoises, and the application of space technology to enhance the sustainable development of the World Biosphere Reserves.

It is anticipated that the conference will release an Hangzhou action plan, which will guide the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme for the next decade.

UNESCO launched the MAB Programme in 1971 to promote the sustainable management of biodiversity and human-nature interactions. It operates through the World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR), which includes 759 biosphere reserves across 136 countries.

Every 10 years or so, UNESCO convenes the WCBR to evaluate progress, share experience, and set future directions for the MAB Programme. The last WCBR was held in 2016 in Lima, Peru, where the Lima Action Plan (2016-2025) was adopted.

China formally joined the MAB Programme in 1973 and established a national committee for the program five years later. To date, 34 nature reserves in China have been designated as UNESCO biosphere reserves, placing the country first in Asia in terms of total number of such reserves.

5th World Congress of Biosphere Reserves opens in Hangzhou

China has established more than 5,500 green mines at or above the provincial level, marking positive progress in the country's green mining development, an official from the Ministry of Natural Resources said at a news conference in Beijing on Tuesday ahead of this year's World Earth Day.

According to Dong Qingji, deputy director general of the Ministry of Natural Resources' department of mineral resources protection and supervision, green mining requirements have been written into the Mineral Resources Law and the Ecological Environment Code, providing strong legal backing. A working system featuring government guidance, departmental coordination, enterprise leadership and public supervision is now largely in place.

China is accelerating the construction of green mines and will organize the selection of a new batch of national-level green mines. Currently, there are over 1,000 national-level green mines and more than 4,500 provincial-level green mines in the country.

Looking ahead, the ministry will continue to promote the construction and operation of all newly built mines in accordance with green mine standards, while speeding up the green transformation and upgrading of existing operating mines. For mines that have not yet initiated green transition, they are required to launch green mine construction as soon as possible, fulfill their obligations for ecological restoration in mining areas, and strengthen ecological restoration and governance in these areas.

China builds over 5,500 green mines, advances sustainable mining