China’s 2024 Environmental Efforts: Striving for Clear Waters and Lush Mountains
In the arid lands of northwest China’s Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, an inspiring transformation has taken place. Once characterized by shifting sands, this region has blossomed into a flourishing oasis, a testament to decades of dedicated desertification control efforts.
The success of Ningxia’s environmental initiatives was showcased at the China Pavilion during the 16th Session of the Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Valerie Hickey, Global Director of the Environment Department at the World Bank, praised Ningxia’s approach, noting that it exemplifies how creating livable environments and restoring landscapes can alleviate poverty and foster prosperity.
Protecting the Yellow River: Ensuring a Beautiful Future
The Yellow River, known as China’s Mother River, is vital to the nation. Flowing through nine provinces and autonomous regions, it irrigates about 17 percent of China’s arable land and supports 13 percent of its grain production. Its conservation has become a long-term priority for the government.
Despite continuous flow since August 1999, the Yellow River faces ecological challenges due to loose soil, undulating terrain, heavy rainfall, and low vegetation coverage. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, President Xi Jinping has visited the nine provinces and regions along the river, promoting ecological conservation and high-quality development in the basin.
In April 2023, China enacted the Yellow River Protection Law, addressing issues such as water shortages, ecological fragility, and flooding. During an inspection in Lanzhou, capital of Gansu Province, in September, Xi called for continued efforts to promote ecological conservation in the Yellow River basin. He emphasized that “protection is a precondition for development, and lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets,” expressing confidence in a more beautiful future for the Yellow River.
Biodiversity Conservation: Safeguarding China’s Natural Heritage
In June, Xi visited Qinghai Province on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, known for its delicate ecosystem and as the home of the Sanjiangyuan area, where the Yangtze, Yellow, and Lancang rivers originate. He stressed the importance of safeguarding this “water tower of China,” protecting biodiversity, and enhancing water conservation capacity.
Over the past five years, the Sanjiangyuan area has seen significant ecological improvements. Water bodies and wetland ecosystems have expanded by 309 square kilometers, and annual water conservation has increased by more than 6 percent, according to the Three-River-Source National Park. Wildlife populations have grown steadily, with species like the Tibetan antelope rising from fewer than 20,000 in the early 1980s to over 70,000 today, moving from endangered to near-endangered status.
Qinghai Province has designated 296,400 square kilometers as ecological protection “red lines,” as part of its spatial planning towards 2035. Alongside national parks and ecological protection strategies, China has expanded its nature reserve system, promoting integrated conservation and restoration of mountains, rivers, forests, farmlands, lakes, grasslands, and deserts.
According to a 2021 white paper titled “Biodiversity Conservation in China,” the country has established nearly 10,000 nature reserves, covering about 18 percent of its total land area, and has achieved the largest growth in forest resources worldwide.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
