[Editor’s note:] From March 25th to 28th, 2017, the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation (ATBC) Asia-Pacific Chapter Meeting 2017 was held at Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG) in Yunnan Province. The meeting focused on the past, present, and future of biodiversity in the Asian tropics, with four major themes: patterns and processes of biodiversity; biogeography and evolution of Southeast Asian biodiversity; addressing the threats to Southeast Asian biodiversity; and sustainable production and use of natural resources.
The Secretary-General of CBCGDF Dr. Zhou Jinfeng was invited to give a keynote speech entitled “Community Based Approach Towards the Conservation of China’s Biodiversity”. The content of this speech is hereby shared in full. This is the Part III.
· Environmental Public Interest Litigation (EPIL)
In ensuring the country’s environment and the people’s environmental justice is safeguarded, the CBCGDF has filed a number of cases against environmental polluters. Examples of some of the cases filed includes,
· A case filed on behalf of the plant Acer Pentaphyllum against an hydroelectric power company who might have destroyed this endemic plants habitat, this was our first EPIL case for an endangered plant,
· EPIL against Conoco Philips and CNOOC,
· EPIL again the pollution of Tengger desert,
· EPIL case to protect Cultural relics in Magu Village,
· EPIL against Volkswagen
· EPIL against a manufacturer and Taobao for Air pollution.
· Traditional Culture-and Faith–based Conservation
· Conferences, Innitiatives and Callings,
Say no to Rosewood Collection,
Say no to Plastic flower,
Say no to fireworks on Lunar Year Nights,
International Bird Festivals;
2016 Silicon Valley Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum (SVIEF)
Initiatives on Protecting elephants from Illegal ivory trade,
Ecological Belt and road initiative (EBRs),
Say No to Inappropriate wildlife release.
· Green Development, Ecology and Poverty Alleviation.
We’ve had several programs and fundraising to help rural communities most especially the children and March 2016 the CBCGDF and Beijing Chaoyang youth federation jointly launched a project called the “ViDays” for rural left-Behind Children. Through this project, college students, artists, volunteers were recruited to go to rural part of china to indulge the little children left at home in those regions with some beautiful arts and other interesting activities.
These are just a tip of the iceberg as we are working towards go out to the world letting them know all our accomplishment, our framework and our effort towards making biodiversity conservation our major priority.
· International Outreach &Cooperation
The CBCGDF has been learning the advanced practices in environmental protection from international society and cooperating with global NGOs and other prestigious organization to promote biodiversity conservation and green development. Some of the cooperation made over the years includes the following:
· Cooperation with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) on environmental governance and justice (2015-2017);
· Partnership agreement signed with CMS during the 45th Meeting of the CMS standing committee. This agreement acts as a sign to encourage and promote the conservation of migratory species in China.
· International outreach with leading biodiversity organizations such as CBD, WWF, CMS, EAAFP, Birdlife International, ARC, ELI, CITEs, Wetland International and many others
· Concluding note
To commend our efforts, during a meeting with Dr. Jane Goodall, a book called Hope for Animals and their world was given to me as a gift from Jane Goodall and on a page inside the book was written a message saying “Together we can make this a better world for all Life”.
With this message I am calling on each and everyone of you to join us In this fight to make sure the world is a better one for not just the endangered species but for the whole of human race.
Thank you !!!
(source: CBCGDF)
(source: XTBG)
(source: weebly.com)