Province contributes to global biodiversity conservation

Yunnan, China's most biologically diverse province, has a wealth of experience in cataloging and conserving its plant and animal species, which it is sharing with partners around the globe in international cooperations and initiatives.

The southwestern province, which borders Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar, is home to more than 18,000 high plant species and 1,836 vertebrate species, accounting for more than half of China's total in both categories, according to an article published in science journal Springer.

Among these plant and animal species are a vast array of those that are endangered and protected, which has meant Yunnan has been tasked with protecting its biodiversity over the years from dangers such as human activities and exploitation.

Utilizing its wealth of experience, Yunnan has reached out to others to work collaboratively in biodiversity conservation.

One such example is the China-Laos cross-border Asian elephant conservation collaboration project.

Asian elephants, a first-class nationally protected species in China, are found in about a dozen countries.

In China, their numbers have increased from around 150 in the 1960s to approximately 300 today, according to Xiong Chaoyong, deputy director of the Asian Elephant Conservation Management Center in Yunnan's Xishuangbanna Dai autonomous prefecture.

He noted that some wild Asian elephants living near the China-Laos border frequently cross between the two countries, which necessitates a joint conservation approach. "The government of China initiated joint conservation efforts with the Lao government in 2006," Xiong said, adding that they have collaborated to protect these elephants with China providing technical support, equipment and funds.