Officials, experts call for high-quality construction of national parks

HAIKOU, Nov. 8: Officials and experts from home and abroad have called for the high-quality construction of national parks at an international symposium in south China's Hainan Province.

The 2024 International Symposium on Tropical Rainforest National Park opened Thursday in Baisha Li Autonomous County of Hainan, under the theme "Conserving Tropical Rainforests: Harmonious Coexistence with Nature."

The event saw the attendance of more than 130 delegates, who conducted in-depth discussions on topics such as the protection and restoration of national parks, the path to realize the value of ecological products, the protection and research of flagship species and more.

Setting up national parks is "a major measure for China to promote natural and ecological protection, build a beautiful China, and promote a harmonious coexistence between man and nature," said Deng Weiqiang, secretary of the Baisha Li Autonomous County Committee of the Communist Party of China.

Theresa Mundita Lim, executive director of the ASEAN Center for Biodiversity, said that Hainan is home to rich tropical rainforests and mountainous landscapes where biodiversity thrives. However, she also noted that it "shares the vulnerability to climate change impacts experienced by Southeast Asian neighbours."

This symposium "provides a valuable opportunity for us to engage in discussions on best practices in rainforest conservation and national park management," she said. "Facing the intertwined challenges of climate change and biodiversity gives us more reasons to learn from each other and work together."

Jonathan Jarvis, former director of the U.S. National Park Service, talked about the diversified categories of funding for national parks around the world and shared his thoughts on funding and finance for China's national parks.

"China has a very long history of urban parks and understanding the value of nature," he said. "This could be a significant source of funding for the parks in China."

In 2021, China established its first batch of national parks, spanning a protected land area of 230,000 square km. These parks, including National Park of Hainan Tropical Rainforest, are home to nearly 30 per cent of the country's key terrestrial wildlife species.