CBCGDF will Visit the DPRK for Collaboration on Pyongyang Birding Festival
2018/12/18 10:26:00 本站

On 16 December, the Secretary-General of China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF) Dr. Zhou Jinfeng met with the Director-General of the Department for External Economic Cooperation at North Korean Ministry of Land and Environment Protection Mrs. Ri Kyong Sim. During the meeting, Dr. Zhou and Mrs. Ri decided a preparatory meeting should be held in April 2019 to discuss arrangement details for Pyongyang Bird-watching Festival, which will take place in 2019.

This October during the 13th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (COP13), Dr. Zhou met with Mrs. Ri and had a fruitful exchange on CBCGDF’s close history with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) and opportunities for future cooperation. In November, Mrs. Ri, together with other representatives of the DPRK government delegation, visited CBCGDF, continued communication for potential collaboration and invited CBCGDF to co-organize the Pyongyang Bird-watching Festival in 2019. The DPRK has a rich source of biodiversity. In April 2018, the DPRK formally joined the East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership (EAAFP) and became the 36th partner of EAAFP. Dr. Zhou warmly welcomed the invitation. He further wholeheartedly agreed that the protection of migratory birds should not be considered as the duty of a single country; by contrast, cross-border partnership and concerted efforts from all walks of life are essential.


The Sunday talk followed up closely with the previous November discussion on the co-hosting of the Pyongyang Bird-watching Festival by CBCGDF and the DPRK. In fact, a considerable amount of work has been done by CBCGDF for the preservation of the biodiversity of migratory birds and wetlands, the latter functioning as major resting and feeding stops along the migration route. For instance, CBCGDF has been the host of three International Bird-watching Festivals in Dalian and two counterparts in Tianjin. All these events have achieved favorable outcomes and have had far-reaching implications for protecting migratory birds. By encouraging wide and involved participation, these bird-watching festivals have succeeded in dramatically improving public understanding of migratory bird species and their awareness of preserving their biodiversity. The October's Poyang Lake Public Service Activities with the highlight of "Safeguard the Wetlands and Welcome Migratory Birds" has likewise successfully drawn wide public attention to the importance of protecting migratory birds, mobilizing all members of society to join this endeavor, and arousing a revived passion for the nature and all the flora and fauna depending on it for survival.

At the Sunday meeting, Dr. Zhou provided several suggestions for the Pyongyang Bird-watching Festival, which were readily welcomed by Mrs. Ri and the DPRK delegation:

(1) With an ever-rising consciousness of sustainable development and climate emergency actions, and under the background of the recently closed Katowice Climate Change Summit, the Pyongyang Bird-watching Festival could serve as the starting point for the promotion of ecotourism in the DPRK. Correspondingly, this festival could be themed on “Ecological Protection and Tourism: The Synergetic Development of Environmental Protection and Economic Growth”.

 

(2) The Pyongyang Bird-watching Festival should be aimed at a grand global event. For instance, leading experts in the field such as China Bird Watch, BirdLife International and International Crane Foundation, and influential international organizations like the TERRE Policy Center should all be included as preeminent participants of the event.

(3) Ground-paving work for ecotourism can be performed during the Pyongyang Bird-watching Festival. One promising proposal would be to invite tourist agencies long engaged with ecotourism to run training sessions for local residents, who may then benefit from these short programs by being able to initiate their own businesses after the festival.

 

(4) Sponsorship and future collaborators for the localization of ecotourism can be sought after at the Pyongyang Bird-watching Festival. For this, Dr. Zhou mentioned several insightful Chinese cases in Beijing and Wuhan that in the past incorporated the planting and appreciating of cherry trees into the developmental processes of ecotourism in the two cities.
We are now sincerely welcoming all stakeholders with a keen interest in ecotourism, biodiversity conservation, and green development to join us in the Pyongyang Bird-watching Festival!

 

For further details on the festival and its participation, please follow us at Wechat account: ChinaGreenExpress or reach us via the contact way:

 

China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation

v1@cbcgdf.org


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(Photo credit: CBCGDF)


By / Lu Lei Edited / Niu Jingmei