China's nature reserves exceed global average
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E-mail China Daily, May 23, 2013
"China has very rich biodiversity of its own," he said. "The 2012 IUCN Red List cites over 5,000 plant and animal species living in China, and of those nearly 1,000 species are under threat."
Patrick Haverman, deputy country director of the United Nations Development Program China, said the natural capital of biodiversity has been greatly overused during the country's pursuit of economic development, and if China's development is to be sustainable in the long term, it must conserve biodiversity as its ecological base.
"The challenge both in China and globally is in harmonizing economic growth with the preservation of the integrity of natural capital. More particularly in China, the challenge is to reconcile the conservation of this country's rich ecosystems with the demands of development, which has already lifted more than 500 million people out of poverty," Haverman said.
He said the UNDP appreciates and supports the significant efforts for biodiversity conservation undertaken in recent years by the Chinese government.
The government has given conservation of biodiversity high priority, according to Vice-Minister Li.
The China National Biodiversity Conservation Strategy and Action Plan for 2011-2030, released in September 2010, set guidelines for the country's efforts to protect biodiversity over the next 20 years.
A national committee dedicated to biodiversity conservation was also established in 2011.
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