National parks bolster wildlife populations

China has seen a steady growth in the wild populations of several flagship species since it began promoting the development of a national park system over a decade ago, an official with the National Forestry and Grassland Administration said on Thursday.

During the same period, the stability and diversity of the country's ecosystems have also steadily improved, said Sun Hongyan, deputy director of the administration's nature reserve department, at a news conference.

The national park system was first proposed in 2013 during the third plenary session of the 18th Communist Party of China Central Committee. The country launched 10 pilot parks in 2015 and officially designated five of them as national parks in October 2021.

In December 2022, China released a plan aimed at establishing the world's largest national park system by 2035.

Sun outlined the progress made in each of the five established parks.

At Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park, authorities have developed an intelligent space-air-ground integrated monitoring system. The system allows for round-the-clock tracking and precise positioning of the big cats, while also providing early warnings of potential human-tiger conflicts, Sun said.

As a result of conservation efforts, the number of wild Northeast China tigers in the park has increased from 27 in 2015 to 70, while the number of leopards has risen from 42 to about 80, she added.

For the first time in three decades, tiger tracks were discovered on Changbai Mountain in Jilin province late last year, signaling a habitat expansion of more than 200 kilometers from the national park's core area, Sun added.

Because of their naturally shy nature, leopards rarely come into conflict with humans.

In Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park in south Hainan province, the wild population of Hainan gibbons — one of the rarest primates on Earth — has increased from 35 individuals in five groups to 42 in seven groups. It remains the only gibbon population among the 20 known species worldwide to show continuous growth, according to Sun.

The increase has been credited to efforts to restore damaged forest ecosystems through artificial means, helping to gradually bring back the rainforest's ecological balance, she said.

Sun also announced that the National Forestry and Grassland Administration and the Sichuan provincial government will jointly host the third National Park Forum in Chengdu, Sichuan's capital, on Aug 18 and 19.

With a focus on promoting high-level conservation and sustainable development of national parks, delegates at the forum will explore key issues and future strategies for park development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30), she said.

Chen Zongqian, deputy director of the Sichuan Provincial Forestry and Grassland Administration, said the province aims to make the forum a national benchmark for green and low-carbon events.

A pioneering carbon neutrality evaluation system will be introduced to assess emissions from transportation, lodging, dining and material consumption, Chen said. All emissions from the forum will be offset by purchasing carbon credits, he added.

The event will also prioritize the use of eco-friendly products, including goods from Giant Panda National Park. Nameplates will be made of bamboo, and badges will be produced from biodegradable bamboo fiber, Chen said.

"By substituting plastic with bamboo, the forum will markedly reduce its plastic use," he said.