Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, MEE Nov.25, 2019, - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Prof. Changxin Zou, zcx@nies.org Prof. Yan Liu, liuyan@nies.org Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences, MEE Nov.25, 2019, Montreal

What are ECRs? Why delineate ECRs? Where to delineate ECRs? How to delineate ECRs? How to manage ECRs?

1. What are ECRs? — “ concept ” ECRs refer to the area with special important ecological functions and must be strictly protected compulsively within the scope of ecological space. They are the bottom lines and lifelines for safeguarding and maintaining national ecological security. They usually include important eco-function regions with important water conservation, biodiversity conservation, wind-proof and sand-fixing function, and ecological fragile areas such as soil erosion, land desertification, rocky desertification, salinization, etc. • Ecological Space （生 态 空 间 ） • Special and important ecological functions （具有特殊重要生 态 功能） • Mandatory and strict protection （ 实 施 严 格保 护 ） • Baseline and lifeline （底 线 和生命 线 ） 3

1. What are ECRs? — “ Aims ” 支撑经济 人居环境 生物资源 可持续发展 保 障 可持续利用  Not a new type of Ensuring human Supporting sustainable Sustainable utilization Protected Areas (PAs) , but settlement safe of biological resources economic development 目标 减缓灾害 提 供 a comprehensive ecological 重要生物 应对全球变化 Aims Ecological disasters 和景观资源保护 生态服务 space with integrative reduction Biodiversity and Ecological products Respond to global meaning landscape protection provision changes  ECRs have priority in spatial planning process 重要生态功能区 生态脆弱区敏感区 关键物种生境与生态系统 生态保护 important ecological ecological sensitive habitats of key species  Three parts are included 红线 function area and fragile area and ecosystems ECRs Agricultural/Cultiva tion space ECR Urban Ecological space space

2. Why delineate ECRs? 1 The Proposal of ECRs: New Ecological Conservation Solution in China  Fragile ecological environment  Per capita resources are scarce and of low quality  Serious ecological degradation in partial area  Overcrowding of ecological space by highly rapid industrialization/urbanization  Various types of Protected Areas (PAs) in China are not well-managed As an important strategic concept, ECRs were put forward in order to better protect the ecological environment and ecological security in China.

2. Why delineate ECRs?  Various types of Protected Areas (PAs) in China are not well-managed Insufficient ecological protected 01 areas, protection vacancy The boundary is not clear, development and 02 protection coexist Scattered distribution, lack of 03 effective connection Lack of restraint and 04 rigidity in management Nature Reserves in China (2018) The existing protected land system is insufficient to maintain ecological security, and fails to form an ecological pattern to ensure national ecological security and sustainable socio-economic development. It is urgent to establish a new ecological protection system 尚未形成有效格局，亟需建立新的生态保护地体系

3. Where to be delineated? 1 2 4 3  “Guidelines for the delineation of red lines for ecological protection” (issued by 2017, MEP)

3. Where to be delineated? 1 在保障国家生 态安全的重点区域划定生态保护红线 Two barriers and Many points One region three zones — 《 National main functional region planning 》 , 2011

3. Where to be delineated? 2  Other areas necessary for strict protection :  Areas with high  Prohibited  Areas with  habitat for species with very ecological exploration areas crucial ecological small populations sensitivity and at national and functions  Glacier vulnerability Provincial level  Snow Mountain …… 9

4. How to delineate? 1 Carry out scientific assessment Within the scope of land space, the importance assessment of Main assessment step includes: ecological function and the sensitivity assessment of ecological 1 • Identifying basic assessment units environment should be carried out to determine the most important • Selection of assessment methods 2 and vulnerable areas of ecological functions such as water • Data collection and preprocessing 3 conservation, biodiversity conservation, soil and water • Model operation 4 conservation, wind prevention and sand fixation, and to incorporate • Assessment and grading 5 them into the ECRs. 6 • On-site verification

4. How to delineate? 1 Carry out scientific assessment Scientific as Scientific assessment resu sessment results lts Evaluation of Biodiversity Maintenance Function Evaluation of Soil and Water Conservation Function Evaluation of Water Conservation Function Sensitivity evaluation of rocky desertification Sensitivity Assessment of Soil and Water Loss

4. How to delineate? 1 Carry out scientific assessment Overlay all the assessment results Using ecological datas

4. How to delineate? 2 Carry out scientific assessment Overlay of existing protected areas: covering all important protected areas Coordination of major relative plans: reserving development space 13

4. How to delineate? 3 —“Five connections” Sea and land departments plans counties Cross-regional Using 1:10000 land use data or general survey data of geographical conditions or high-precision remote sensing image with spatial resolution no less than 5m as the base map, connect the boundary of ECRs with various planning, zoning spatial boundaries and land use status, comprehensively analyze the relationship between development, construction and ecological protection, thus reasonably determining the development and protection boundary in combination with actual economic and social development. Coordination of major infrastructure development

4. How to delineate? 4 上下 结合 Nation-level Ensure key areas related Keep an open mind to local to national and regional opinions and coordinate ecological security with relevant plans involved in ECRs Province-level top - down Bottom - up County-level Land boundary at high level of Focus on ecosystem integrity and resolution at county level management feasibility ECRs implementation

Current result and protection effectiveness of ECRs in China Ecosystems conservation Species conservation  more than 90% of  more than 95% of good forests, national key protected grasslands, wetlands species was protected etc. were protected Carbon fixation Water conservation  Maintaining 45% of  the headwater and  The initial results: ECRs areas terrestrial carbon catchment areas of major sequestration accounted for around 25% of rivers were protected terrestrial land area in China Ecologically ECRs Distribution in China (initial results) Source: Ministry of Ecology and Environment, 2019 Tourist resources fragile area  23 ecologically vulnerable /  more than 90% of excellent natural sensitive areas were protected landscape resources were protected ECR was called "another lifeline after the cultivated land red line"

5. How to manage ? Management Principles for ECRs in China （ 3 ） Area for ECRs: Only increase, not （ 1 ） ECRs should be managed according to the decrease; except for major National requirements of prohibited development areas Infrastructure and livelihood security projects （ 2 ） All kinds of development activities that do not （ 4 ） Priority must be given to ECRs in other conform to the functional orientation and changes of development activities uses are strictly prohibited • Manage according to • Lucid waters and lush the requirements of • Ecological Priority mountains are prohibited and Ecological Equity invaluable assets development areas Ecol olog ogica cal l Rati tion onal l Stri trict ct Con Contro trol Util iliz izati tion on Comp mpen ensat atio ion

5. How to manage ? “ 三不 ” 原 则 Function Function Character Character undiminished undiminished unchanged unchanged The ecological service function and ecological The land usage and quality of ecological red line protected area within the remain undiminished red line remain unchanged Area Area undiminished undiminished Ecological red line is the bottom Next, we will formulate line of ecological security and its regulations for ECRs. area can only be increased

The contribution of ECR  China’s creative practice of ECR contribute to the implementation of SDGs  particularly, Goal 15 (Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss).  As an effective area-based conservation measure (ABCM) implemented by China, ECR makes signification contribution to the implementation of AT11.  As an effective eco-zoning tool based on scientific assessments, ECR provide a new way of thinking with respect to in-site conservation for other countries. 19