Themed “coordinate man and biosphere, protect life community”, a conference commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Chinese National Committee for Man and the Biosphere Programme (CNCMBP) was held at the China National Conference Center in Beijing on July 30.

Xu Zhihong, president of the Chinese National Committee for Man and the Biosphere Programme, expressed his expectation of the future work of the committee. “This is the opening stage of a 10-year strategy for man and the biosphere programme as well as the critical phase for the construction of national ecological civilization. The Man and the Biosphere Programme will strengthen support to the member countries and contribute to sustainable development and healthy living residences in order to raise humanity’s capability of adapting to changes in the environment.”

Center stage at the conference [Image from Bureau of International Co-operation, CAS]

Zhang Yaping, vice president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), noted that CAS has offered export resources and technological support to CNCMBP. Meanwhile, the committee has attracted a number of CAS institutions and scientists to participate in research in environmental protection, applying the latest scientific achievements to the construction of national ecological civilization, which fully fulfills CAS’ responsibility and mission as a national scientific institution.

Huang Runqiu, vice minister of Ecology and Environment, said that in recent years the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) together with other relevant departments has enhanced the supervision and management of the natural protection areas. Regulations and policies for environmental protection were gradually reinforced. MEE will further support and cooperate with CNCMBP for the organization’s better operation and supervision.

 “By the end of 2017, China had more than 170 square kilometers of protected land, accounting for 18 percent of the nation’s land area, ahead of schedule under the Convention on Biological Diversity that stipulated achieving 17 percent of the nation’s land by 2020,” said Li Chunliang, vice minister of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration (NFGA). He added that NFGA will further cooperate with CNCMBP in the future, jointly pushing forward the construction and management of China’s protected areas.

Over 40 years, 34 protected environmental areas in China have been declared world biosphere reserves, ranking fourth globally.

“We believe CNCMBP will better play its role in promoting cooperation between China and the rest of the world and in building a more beautiful China and the world, contributing to the construction of the community of human destiny," said Qin Changwei, secretary general of the National Commission for UNESCO of China.

This event awarded outstanding contributions by staff of protected land areas, and scientific researchers and entrepreneurs who were dedicated to the operation and development of CNCMBP during the past 40 years. Li Wenhua, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Yang Yeqin, former director of the Fanjing Mountain National Nature Reserve Administration and Zhong Chengzhan, founder of outdoor brand KAILAS, won the awards.

The 2-day event invited more than 20 experts in ecological protection and held nearly 30 theme lectures and science popularization activities that reviewed the development of CNCMBP in China over the past 40 years. The event raised society’s awareness of China’s world biosphere reserves, and held exhibitions to display their conditions and research achievements.

Source：people.cn