On May 20, two days before the International Day for Biodiversity, Premier Li Keqiang gave important directions, pointed out that China should stick to conservation in the development and promote growth through conservation. We should improve legislation and regulation, conduct important projects of biodiversity conservation, fully protect wildlife resources, and construct a natural protected area system with national parks as the main body.

The series of directions is timely, important, and correct, which has inspired the conservation society for further biodiversity conservation. But we also have concerns. How could we prevent the damage? And how can we prevent biodiversity loss incurred by major projects?

Many major projects on hydropower, road, airport, transportation, wind power, etc. would pose an influence on the natural environment more or less. Some projects would cause severe damage to biodiversity. Therefore, it is essential to avoid damage.

It is reported that Hainan Province successfully restored seagrass beds, for instance. Scientists and conservationists who are dedicated to the program and overcome multiple challenges take a whole year to finish the restoration of one-mu seagrass bed, indicating the difficulty in ecological restoration. It may only take one or a few days for projects of marine reclamation and waterway dredging to destroy thousands of mu of seabed grass. So, the fundamental principle is to prevent destruction.

It is very easy to destroy biodiversity, but it demands hard efforts to conserve biodiversity. It is not new to see major projects cause destruction. The restoration requires several years to achieve. Full attention should be paid to this issue.

In the background of the advancement of Industrialized Civilization, concepts of engineering, economic growth, GDP, and construction pop up and arouse heated discussion. By contrast, nature protection and biodiversity conservation are newly emerging with scant attention. Over recent years, there are numerous examples of projects destroying the ecological environment.

First of all, biodiversity assessment must be conducted before major projects being carried out. An outskirt park was supposed to have an ecological renovation, but our volunteer objected because the park is located in the habitat of critically endangered Libellula Angelina which is one of the most precious among 800 dragonfly species in China. Then we contacted relevant departments, and the authority took instant actions to stop mowing reed, paving ways, cleaning ponds, building plank road. The so-called “ecological” projects sometimes are destroying biodiversity.

Here is another example in Shanghai. Afforestation and greening project is of significance to carbon sequestration, a method contributes to biodiversity construction. But the Nanhui Dongtan Wetland carried out an afforestation campaign on a large scale. The Nanhui Dongtan Wetland serves as the habitat of various species, an important stop for migratory birds, and a delivery room for marine life. Once the mudflat is replaced with trees, the original ecological system would be greatly interrupted.

A typical case in Beijing: Bulaotun, situated at the north shore of Miyun Reservoir in Beijing suburb, has rich wildlife resources with high ecological value, including 287 bird species and 57 national protected wild animals. In 2018, a water conservation and restoration project, which is claimed to prevent water losses and soil erosion, improve the ecological environment, and enhance the self-purification of water. It sounds ecological, but the reality is that local grass and bushes were removed and replanted with woods. The second phase of the project is suspended after the first phase received a wide rejection from environmental organizations and conservationists.

Original Chinese article:

http://www.cbcgdf.org/NewsShow/4854/12612.html

By / Wang Yanqing