China launched an extensive program on Friday aimed at
biodiversity conservation through a detailed nationwide assessment
of threats to endangered species and ecosystems in the country.
Jointly conducted by the State Environmental Protection
Administration (SEPA) and the Nature Conservancy (NC) of the United
States, it has been the Chinese Government's first large-scale
environmental protection project in cooperation with an overseas
non-governmental organization.
The project, to be completed by 2008, will be divided into two
phases. The first phase is an 18-month pilot project focusing on
the upper Yangtze River basin.
It will evaluate the status quo of biodiversity in the region
and develop a series of targeted and highly feasible
recommendations and strategies for conservation action.
"If the results are satisfactory, the information will assist
China in fulfilling its obligations under the international
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and will provide crucial
support for government decisions about natural resources and
sustainable development," said Song Xiaozhi, vice-director of the
foreign cooperation center under the SEPA.
The pilot project will also help gain the experience necessary
to complete the second phase of the program, which will start a
comprehensive nationwide assessment, the official said.
With its vast terrain and varied climate, China has an abundance
of globally significant biodiversity, with many unique ecosystems.
China is one of the ancient civilization centers of the world, and
over thousands of years its rich natural resources have heavily
influenced the development of the country's distinctive society and
culture.
However, rapid population and economic growth represent critical
threats to China's rich biological heritage. Statistics show that
4,000 to 5,000 advanced plant species are in severe danger, 15 to
20 percent of the total number.
In 1992 China joined the CBD and has made great efforts in
creating a CBD-mandated national Biodiversity Strategy and Action
Plan. However the country still lacks a master vision of
conservation priorities for its terrestrial, freshwater and marine
systems.
"I hope the project will help craft this master vision," said
Rose Niu, director of the NC's China program, "after we complete
this country-wide conservation status map and database delineating
the most vital conservation areas for biodiversity conservation and
restoration in China in 2008."
Meanwhile, the cooperation will also stimulate increased
cooperation between Chinese governmental agencies, research
communities, and other organizations involved in biodiversity
conservation activities, Niu added.
(China Daily November 18, 2006)
