Ecological Civilization marks a new era of human civilization, representing an introspection on past patterns of development and serving as an inevitable choice for coping with global climate change and maintaining the sustainable development of the life system on Earth. China has carried out a series of pioneering works in ecological conservation and restoration, making the construction of an Ecological Civilization and a Beautiful China a significant step forward.
The Ecological Red Lines (ERLs) serve as the bottom line and lifeline for safeguarding and maintaining territorial ecological security, and they represent a significant institutional innovation in the construction of an Ecological Civilization. Delineating and strictly adhering to ERLs is a significant policy decision and deployment in the construction of Ecological Civilization in the new era. It is also an important approach to addressing ecological environmental issues and support-ing high-quality development with a high-quality ecological environment. As a pioneering innovation, scientifically delineating ERLs presents significant challenges. This difficulty arises not only from the complex task of identifying key ecological functions within these areas and delineating these zones as completely as possible, but also from the need to balance ecological security with developmental needs and to deal with various contradictions and conflicts among demands for different land uses. It also has to define the ERLs on the ground, so as to achieve consistency in “data, line and map”. For this purpose, the Ministry of Natural Resources along with the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, the National Forestry and Grassland Administration and other Ministries coordinated with local governments at all levels to carry out this mission. Using the findings of the Third National Land Survey as the base map and data, and based on the evaluation of resources and environmental carrying capacity, the territorial development suitability, regulations were formulated successively to properly address various spatial contradictions and conflicts. The land and marine ERLs were delineated completely. Achievement was made in managing key ecological areas within one red line.
The total area covered nationwide by the ERLs is up to 3.19 million km2, of which the land ecological protection red line accounts for more than 30% of the land area, including the protected areas, extremely important ecological functionareas, extremely fragile ecological areas and areas with potential important ecological value. It has laid the foundation for the construction of a territorial ecological security pattern and provided Chinese solutions for global ecological conservation.
As the Chairman of the National Expert Group on Delineation of ERLs, I have witnessed the hardships of delineation, and felt delighted to see that such a great mission has been successfully accomplished. The delineation of China’s ERLs has been a focus of considerable concern for experts, scholars, governmental sectors and the public both domestically and globally. The outcome of the delineation provides strong support for strengthening ecological conservation and restoration and promoting Ecological Civilization construction. Compiled by the China Land Surveying and Planning Institute (CLSPI), this book systematically summarizes the process, methodology, achievements and practical cases of delineation of ERLs, and presents ideas and suggestions on strengthening the supervision and administration of ERLs and improving their system, which can help various sectors of society to better understand ERLs, and to foster a conscious awareness and broad consensus for ecological conservation.
The delineation of ERLs is not only a practice in China on ecological conservation and governance, but also an innovative solution for global ecosystem and biodiversity conservation. I look forward to the future where relevant government departments and the public work together to improve the supervision and administration of ERLs, strengthen the conservation and restoration of ecosystems, and leave behind a beautiful ecological space and a wonderful homeland for future generations.
Chinese Academy of Sciences Bojie Fu
Beijing, China August 2, 2023
Table of Contents
1 Introduction 1
2 Progress and Methodology 9
3 Achievements 15
4 Management and Control Measures 27
5 Practical Cases of Local Governments 35
Appendix: Glossary 123
References 125
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The Blue Book on China's Ecological Red Lines 2023
