China to launch 5th nationwide ecological condition survey

BEIJING -- China is set to kick off a two-year ecological condition survey in 2024, the fifth since 2000.

The project, a joint initiative between the Ministry of Ecology and Environment and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, aims to provide critical support for drawing the ecological protection red lines, advancing key functional zone strategies, and the strategic layout of major ecological conservation and restoration projects.

The survey will be conducted on three spatial scales, namely national, key regional and provincial levels, to monitor the quality and functionality of the country's ecosystem.

Key regions of interest include the Yellow River Basin, the Yangtze River Economic Belt, the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and the Yangtze River Delta, all of which are significant strategic areas for national development.

According to the national ecological condition change (2015-2020) survey and assessment report, the overall pattern of China's ecosystems has remained stable and continues to improve.

The quality of natural ecosystems has seen sustained improvement, with the area rated as excellent or good accounting for over 43 percent, surpassing the proportion of poor or very poor areas for the first time.

Minister of Ecology and Environment Huang Runqiu stated that in the new era, China's ecological protection, restoration, and supervision work have achieved positive results.

The overall pattern of the national ecosystem remains stable, with the quality of terrestrial ecosystems continuously improving and the ecological environment in major strategic areas generally becoming more stable and favorable, he said.

Huang cited data showing that 90 percent of China's terrestrial ecosystem types and 74 percent of the country's key protected wild animal and plant populations are effectively protected.