划定生态红线 (huàdìng shēngtài hóngxiàn): Drawing ecological redlines

The State Council, China's Cabinet, recently approved a plan to establish ecological redlines in 15 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions. On Monday, the Ministry of Environmental Protection said at a news conference that a redline has been established for areas with ecological functions or vulnerable ecological conditions in each of the provincial-level administrative regions.

In the 15 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions concerned, the redlines protect 291 counties with key ecological zones.

The key ecological zones differ in different regions. For example, in Beijing, Tianjin and neighboring Hebei province, the redlines protect 37 zones divided into seven categories, which mainly serve water conservation, maintain biodiversity and prevent desertification. In Northwest China's Ningxia Hui autonomous region, there are nine key ecological zones divided into five categories, which are mainly aimed at preventing sandstorms and maintaining biodiversity.

Satellite-based remote monitoring measures and land-based ecological monitoring stations will be used to monitor these key ecological zones and punish those who try to violate them.

According to the ministry, next time they will draw ecological redlines for the remaining regions, and make detailed protective measures, so as to better defend the redlines.