Chapter 3
Actions and Achievements in the Major Fields of Sustainable Development
Section 14 Biodiversity Protection
1. Background3.86 China is a large country with a biodiversity of global significance. For a long time the protection of biodiversity has been facing serious challenges due to the rapid population growth and changes in the biological environment.
China is a large country with vast biodiversity.
It has 599 types of land ecosystems and 32, 800 species of plants (angiosperms),
17,300 species of higher angiosperms, 6,300 species of animal invertebrates,
and 667 unique species of invertebrate. China also has many rare plants
and animals which are considered "living fossils" such as the
giant panda, white-flag dolphin, ginkgo, Metasequoia, and Yangtze River
dolphin. China has 1,900 species of livestock, 50,000 rice species, 20,000
soybean species, and 1,000 economically-valuable tree species. All of the
above form China's large resource base of genetic material and biodiversity.
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II. Actions and Achievements
3.87 Formulation of the Action Plan of Biodiversity and implementation of bilateral and multilateral international cooperation
In order to fulfil the UN Convention on Biodiversity, the Chinese Government has formulated "China's Biodiversity Conservation Action Plan" and the "Country Study Report on Biodiversity in China", carried out comprehensive assessments of its biodiversity, indexed the endangered animals and plants, and put forward policy suggestions regarding the strengthening of national capability for biodiversity protection and the sustainable utilisation of biological resources.
Chapter I gives a comprehensive analysis and assessment of the current status of China's biodiversity and summarises the richness, development and utilisation, the degrees of endangerment, and the urgency of strengthening the protection of China's biodiversity. Chapter II conducts a comprehensive exposition and evaluation of the current protection measures, such as on-site and migration protection, policies and regulations, the institutional system, scientific studies, education and training, and international cooperation. Chapter III expounds, in detail, the goals, actions, and priority projects of biodiversity protection. The Chinese Government has set 7 goals towards biodiversity conservation. These include: Chapter IV expounds the measures needed for the
implementation of direct protective action. This chapter presents seven
kinds of measures, including legislation and policy, institutional research,
technical dissemination, publicity, fund-raising, and international cooperation
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3.88 Accepting and fulfilling relevant international responsibilities
The Chinese Government has joined or signed several international conventions and agreements such as the "Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora", the "Convention on Wetlands", the "Sino-Japanese Agreement on the Protection of Migratory Birds", the "Sino-Australian Agreement on the Protection of Migratory Birds", and the "Sino-American Protocol on Nature Protection". China also conducted joint investigations on the protection of panda resources and their habitats with the WWF. This work has included protection, scientific study, publicity, and education as well as personnel training on panda, tropical rain forests, and wetlands. China has cooperated with countries (such as Japan, the United States, and Germany) and international organisations in cooperative activities including investigations and studies of wildlife (such as the niponnia bird, Chinese sturgeon, green turtle, antelope, and leopard), collection, exchange and reservation of the genetic resources, and the establishment of a database. China's wildlife administrative organisations have fostered close cooperation with the International Union for the Protection of Nature and Natural Resources, the International Fund for Cranes, the International Wetland Organisation (Asia-Pacific), the United States, Britain, Germany, Japan, Australia, etc.
3.89 Enhancement of capacity for biodiversity protection
Formulating and promulgating laws and regulations
China has successively formulated and promulgated laws and regulations such as the "Forest Law of the People's Republic of China", the "Law of Fishing of the People's Republic of China", the "Wildlife Protection Law of the People's Republic of China", the "Management Regulation of Natural Reserves", the "Regulation of the People's Republic of China Concerning Continental Wild Animals", the "Regulations for the Protection of Aquatic and Wild Animals of the People's Republic of China", the "Regulations on Wild Flora Conservation", the "Regulations on Management of Forest and Wildlife Nature Reserves", the "Provisions Governing Hunting Guns and Bullets of the People's Republic of China", the "List of Key Protected Wildlife of National Importance", and the "National List of Rare and Endangered Plants". The various provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government have formulated and issued corresponding local laws and executive regulations. The Environmental Protection Committee (under the National People's Congress) and the State Council have inspected the enforcement of environmental protection in fishery and forestry departments, and strictly prosecuted those offenders who have seriously destroyed the wild fauna and flora resources (such as excessive hunting and smuggling).
Strengthening scientific studies and management
China has set up management offices and scientific committees for the import and export of endangered species. Management institutions for wild animals and plants, as well as the nature reserves, have been established in 25 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government. Research institutions for the study of endangered animals and plants have been set up in northeastern, northwestern, and southern China. In Sichuan, Hunan, Guangdong, and Guangxi Provinces, 19 protection and breeding centres have been established for endangered wild animals and plants such as the Northeast tiger, elk, wild horse, high-nose antelope, nipponia bird, Chinese sturgeon, Yangtze alligator, golden-striped tortoise, etc. Across China, there are over 300 artificial breeding farms for wild animals and plants, one national bird centre, fifty bird stations, and five white-flag dolphin protection stations.
Establishing the biodiversity information and monitoring systems
The Chinese Government has set up several special biodiversity information systems. The Chinese Academy of Sciences alone has established a relatively complete biodiversity information system which includes 5 subject branches, 25 data sources, and more than 30 databases. A species and products resource database system for agriculture has been established by the agricultural departments, including 15 agricultural products, 270,000 seeds samples, and 12,590,000 data entries. The National Environmental Protection Agency has set up a database for nature reserves across the country. An ecosystem and biodiversity study and monitoring network, which is composed of 78 ecological stations, has been established in China.
Compiling the Red Books of Plants and Animals in China based on investigation, research, and scientific results of more than ten years' work
China started the compilation of the "Red Book of Plants in China" and the "Red Book of Animals in China". These books will have 8 volumes, 3 of which have already been finished. China also publicised the "List of Ecosystems under Priority Protection", the "List of Animals under Priority Protection", and the "List of Wild Plants under Priority Protection (agricultural section)".
Mobilising public participation for biodiversity protection
China has disseminated laws and regulations, such as the "Regulations for the Protection of Aquatic and Wild Animals", and popularised the scientific knowledge of wild flora and fauna through various media and activities such as "Bird-Loving Week", "Biodiversity Day", "Publicity Month for the Protection of Wild Animals", public lectures, exhibits, etc. Each year for the past ten years, the organisations for wildlife administration and environmental protection at national and local levels have held quiz games, composition contests, and summer camp activities about wild animal and plants for primary and middle school students. Such special programmes as "Animal World" and "Humans and Nature" on CCTV (China Central Television) have become popular programmes with great influence.
3.90 Construction of nature reserves
China's nature reserves network has been greatly developed. This has effectively protected most of the representative and scientifically-valuable ecosystems, and endangered rare species. By the end of 1996, there were 799 nature reserves (including 106 state-owned) which were designed for the conservation of a variety of species. The area of these nature reserves totals 71.85 million hectares, accounting for 7.2% of China's land area. Twelve of these reserves have joined the Man and Biosphere International Protection Zone Network. China has also set up 752 forest parks with a total area of more than 6.6 million hectares. These have become important places for the protection of ecosystems and local species.
Picture 3-19 Khanas Lake, Altay Mountainous Area, Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region - National Nature Reserve and Unique Natural Habitat
3.91 Implementation of the "Rescue Project for Endangered Species"
The Chinese Government has carried out a series of rescue projects for endangered animals that have led to the restoration of many species. By the end of 1995, China had established 175 animal parks and animal exhibition zones in the parks, and 227 breeding centres for wild animals. The project for the protection of giant pandas and their habitats has been carried out with 28 panda protection zones already established or still under preparation. There are currently a total of 1000 giant pandas from several different species. The population in each of the species is stable. Nipponia birds were an endangered species world-wide with only 7 in China in 1981 upon its rediscovery. Now, there are more than 60 in China due to the rescue project. The artificial breeding of Yangtze crocodiles has been a success, with a current population of more than 4000. The population of Hainan deer has expanded to more than 500 from the initial 50. In order to rescue and breed endangered or rare plants, China has successively set up more than 400 stations for rare plants protection and breeding (as well as conserving species resources), and more than 120 botanical gardens and tree gardens. These measures have protected 1,800 species, allowed 90% of the wild plants under national protection to be moved (and thus protected), and allowed nearly 1,000 rare plants to be protected and bred. The artificial breeding of the Chinese unique cathy fir, metasequoia, and Chinese parasol have been strikingly successful. The Chinese sturgeon has also been well protected in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. Seven protection stations, one protection zone, and one rescue centre for the Chinese sturgeon have been established. Every year, over 300,000 young Chinese sturgeons are put into the Yangtze River. This keeps the population of the Chinese sturgeon stable in the Yangtze River.
Picture 3-20 Protection of Rare Wildlife - the Giant Panda and Golden-haired Monkey in Tangjiahe Nature Reserve, Sichuan Province
The giant panda, regarded as a living fossil, only exists in China. It is a unique species which has survived historical evolution and is of significant value for protection and study. For the effective protection of giant panda, from 1985 to 1988 the Chinese Ministry of Forestry, in cooperation with the WWF, conducted a comprehensive investigation of this valuable species and its habitat and compiled the "Report of the Comprehensive Investigation of China's Giant Panda and its Habitat" (based on which the "Programme of Protection and Management of China's Giant Panda and its Habitat" was compiled). In June of 1992, the Chinese Government launched the "Project for the Protection of Giant Panda and its Habitat". The main contents of the project are: The completion of the "Project for the Protection
of Giant Pandas and Its Habitats" will subject 95% of wild giant pandas
to effective protection. |
3.92 Establishment of genetic resources bases
The Chinese Government attaches importance to the collection and protection of agricultural species resources and the genetic resources of domestic fowl and livestock. At present, China has established a preliminary protection system for agricultural species with one state-level long-term seeds storage room and duplication room, 23 local mid-term warehouses, and 25 state-level seed fields. This protection system has stored more than 300,000 agricultural species samples and protected most of the agricultural species resources. A gene base of the herbage species has been established for the domestic fowl and livestock. Priority protection programs have been carried out for some endangered and sharply decreasing domestic fowl and livestock species. An aquatic resources base has also been established. The Department of Fisheries has established 32 natural aquatic species sites, 218 superior species sites, and 1062 sites for breeding fish with a total capacity of breeding more than 200 billion fish from a number of species each year. A total of 379 types of aquatic species has been put on the "List of Species Resources for Protection" and given priority for research and protection.
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