Citation Detail: John MacKinnon, WANG Sung, XIE Yan and Andrew Smith. 1996. First Annual Report of the BWG/CCICED. in: Conserving China's Biodiversity. China Environmental Science Press. Beijing. 4-17p.

First Phase (1992-1996) First Annual Report

FIRST ANNUAL REPORT TO CCICED
February 1993, Beijing

★EXECUTIVE SUMMARY★INTRODUCTION★TERMS OF REFERENCE OF CCICED BIODIVERSITY WORKING GROUP★PRINCIPAL RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE WORKING GROUP★RECOMMENDED ACTIVITIES UNDER THE CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY

This report presents the primary conclusions of a specialised international working group on the state and needs for conservation of China's natural biological resources, i.e.:"BIODIVERSITY".

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1. Principal Findings

China is one of the most richly endowed nations on earth in terms of renewable biological resources. This richness is shown in absolute numbers of living species, in the proportion of these that are endemic or found only in China and in the number of wild crop, cultivar and domesticable species. China is a megadiversity nation containing vast riches of genetic materials of immense value for present and future generations both within the country and globally.

The value of benefits derived from China's living resources is impossible to calculate precisely but it is of massive scale in the order of $100 billion per year. In addition the ecological service function of natural habitat, primarily in the form of soil protection and water regulation must also be valued at many billion dollars per annum.

Despite very considerable and worthy efforts by the Chinese Government, its scientists, officers and people in the form of nature protection policy and action, the state of China's environment and status of its biodiversity is seriously threatened. The huge human population and growing wealth of the people are placing an irresistible pressure on natural habitats and wild species not only in China but in neighbouring countries that increasingly sell their natural products to China. Current levels of utilisation cannot be sustained and the resource base is degrading irreversibly.
Declining fish production, timber yields, scarcity of medicinal plants, rarity of wildlife, some species extinction, loss of forest and steppe grassland, spread of desert, increased soil erosion, lowering of water tables, pollution, acid rain, global warming, increased frequency of floods and droughts and increased coastline erosion are all signs of this degradation and are seriously hurting the country's economy and welfare.

Moreover, the group recognises that current government capacity to counter this degradation and restore the environment to sustainable productivity is greatly hampered by serious lack of coordination, lack of clear authority and shortage of investment in manpower, training, equipment and operational budgets. Even where excellent regulations exist, standards of ground implementation remain very weak.

2. Call for Action
The Working Group urges the Government of China to launch a major national programme to save and restore its endangered natural environment. This programme should be based on a single authoritative Biodiversity Action Plan for China.

Such a programme is as urgent as and should be tackled with as much vigour as the programme to stabilise human population. It will require a coordinated approach involving many ministries as well as the support of a widespread popular movement.

As the first megadiversity nation and most powerful developing nation to sign and ratify the Convention on Biological Diversity China has the opportunity to be a real leader in a global movement to save our planet. A strong environmental recovery programme by China would prove an enormous encouragement to biodiversity conservation programmes in other developing countries.

3. Principal Recommendations

The working group proposes five major recommendations to give an immediate start to a National Biodiversity Programme:

1). Lead the World in implementing the Convention on Biological Diversity
China has already taken a lead by being one of the first nations to sign and ratify the convention. China should continue to demonstrate global leadership by developing a programme of actions in the context of the convention.

2). Establish a National Biodiversity Authority.
This should be a high level, planning and coordination body within the State Council with legal, policy and financial authority over all relevant aspects of the National Biodiversity Programme including international cooperation.

3). Launch Major National Public Awareness Campaign.
This campaign must reach everyone from school children to senior government leaders to spread greater awareness of the role of biodiversity and environment conservation in the nation's sustainable development. The programme should, where appropriate, build on existing religious and traditional attitudes towards the balance of nature.

4) Establish a National Biodiversity Information Service
This service should coordinate the many diverse efforts to inventories and monitor the status of China's living resources and feed analysed information into the decision-making processes where such information is urgently needed to plan the conservation and sustainable use of living resources and the restoration of the country's productive and protective environment.

5) Increase Resources Devoted to Biodiversity Conservation.
Major increases (factorial rather than percentage) are needed to restore the nation's environmental health. Inputs are needed at all levels - training, manpower, research, protected areas, law enforcement, sustainable utilisation models, synthetic replication of active compounds in traditional medicine, awareness campaign, buffer zone development, and international cooperation.

4. Specific Technical Recommendations
The Working Group presents a number of specific technical recommendations. These should be attended to at sectoral level and are presented within the framework of the Convention on Biological Diversity which China is now obliged to implement.

INTRODUCTION

China's biological diversity is of enormous importance for national economic development, as well as being of very high global significance.

China's ecosystems range from tropical rain forests to tundra, from marine systems to alpine meadows. The plant life in these ecosystems places China amongst the world's three most plant-rich nations (see fig. 1), and over half of all China's plants occur nowhere else on earth (see fig. 2). One in eight of the world's mammals, birds and fishes is found in China, which is also a centre for genetic variants of domesticated crops (see fig. 3)like rice and tea, and domesticated animals like chickens, pigs and ducks. But these biological riches occur in a land of 1.2 billion people with the result that over 15% of plants are threatened, important mammals like the Saiga antelope are already extinct and many other species of wildlife are in danger of being lost forever.

Recognizing the economic and cultural importance of its biodiversity, and the many threats to that biodiversity posed by a huge population and the demands and impacts of rapid economic growth, China has taken a number of steps to conserve its biological resources, and establish more sustainable patterns for their use, including the following:

• For many years China has been developing a national system of nature reserves. These protected areas already number over 800 including 57 at the national level. In total these reserves cover 44 million ha. or 5 % of the land area.
• Major efforts have been made by Chinese scientists to inventorise the country's biodiversity, making collections of several million specimens, publishing hundreds of books and papers, preparing lists of endangered species (e.g. Red Data Book of Plants), and publishing recommendations for action (e.g. Biodiversity in China - Status and Strategy).
• China has established many laws and regulations to protect and control the use of living species - Forestry law, Wildlife law, Forestry and Fisheries regulations, local laws.
• Attention has been paid by relevant organizations such as the State Commission for Science and Technology, National Scientific Foundation, and Chinese Academy of Sciences.
  
  At the international level, China has taken four important steps.
  
  
• China has already joined a number of international conventions and programmes - UNESCO's Man and Biosphere Programme, World Heritage Programme, RAMSAR Convention, CITES, migratory bird conventions etc.
• Premier Li Peng, in his appearance at the 1992 Earth Summit, signed the Convention on Biological Diversity. In November 1992, China became one of the first six nations to ratify the Convention, and to move ahead in its implementation, even before it comes into force.
• China has been cooperating with many international organisations on biodiversity conservation - WWF, IUCN, GEF, McArthur Foundation, WFP.
  China has created the Chinese Council for International Cooperation in Environment and Development (CCICED) -- a high level vehicle for expanding international cooperation on environment and development and making specific recommendations to the State Council. One working group of CCICED has a specific focus on biodiversity.

TERMS OF REFERENCE OF
CCICED BIODIVERSITY WORKING GROUP

The following functions have been assigned to the Biodiversity Working Group of CCICED.
Under the director of the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development,

• to bring together the relevant government agencies and scientific institutions in China, and appropriate international governmental and non-governmental organizations concerned with conservation and sustainable use of living resources and biological diversity;
• to analyse and review information on China's biological diversity, including information on its use, and to propose survey and research to remedy deficiencies in this knowledge base;
• to propose strategies and actions for the conservation and sustainable use of the nation's biological diversity and living natural resources.

Action to conserve China's biodiversity will, first and foremost, require leadership and action by the Government of China at the highest levels. Increased international cooperation can buttress this leadership, and can provide added technical and financial resources with which the Chinese can better take action.

The report of this group focuses on four key, catalytic actions that should be taken by the Government of China, in cooperation with international partners, if an effective response to biodiversity loss is to be mounted. These key recommendations are high-lighted in bold typeface. In addition the report presents as an annexe a series of more detailed, technical actions to save, study, and sustainably use specific aspects of biodiversity. For convenience of translating these recommendations into actions they are structured within the framework of the Convention of Biological Diversity under the relevant article headings of the Convention.

PRINCIPAL RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE WORKING GROUP

China has gained considerable respected throughout the world by being one of the first nations to sign and ratify the Convention on Biological Diversity. Even though the Convention will not be implemented until thirty nations have ratified, China should continue to lead the world by immediately implementing a range of activities to conserve and bring under sustainable management its globally important biodiversity.

Justification: The Convention on Biological Diversity has already taken too many years to reach agreement. Whilst other countries are still arguing over words, this is the time for action. China has taken an important leadership position in the developing world and can demonstrate to other such nations that biological diversity is an issue that affects everyone. At the same time, China is highly influential with the industrialised nations and can persuade richer nations to share the burden of incremental costs

Key Recommendation 2: ESTABLISH NATIONAL BIODIVERSITY AUTHORITY

The Government of China should establish a high-level National Biodiversity Planning and Coordinating Unit (BPCU) as an organ of the State Council -- possibly attached to the Environmental Protection Committee -- to serve as the focal authority for coordinating all sectoral and other aspects of an integrated National Biodiversity Programme.
　 The Unit should have clear legal, policy, and financial authority over relevant aspects of the national biodiversity effort, including international assistance and activities in the context of the convention on Biological Diversity. The Unit should have a technical staff of a size adequate to its mandate, and funding from a consortium of international donors should be sought to support the work of the Unit.

Justification: While there are many efforts underway in China to conserve biodiversity, there is very little coordination, a great deal of duplicated -- and thus wasted -- effort, and a lack of national strategic focus. This frustrates national and local efforts, makes it difficult to increase international cooperation and assistance, and renders that assistance less effective. This recommendation complies with article 5 of the Convention on Biological Diversity.

International Implications: CCICED can serve as an international window for EPC and can serve as a focal channel for coordinating international inputs into the biodiversity programme.

Key Recommendation 3: LAUNCH NATION-WIDE PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGN

The State Council should plan and launch a coordinated national biodiversity public awareness campaign. The campaign would involve appropriate ministries to ensure communications with the widest possible segment of the population. The campaign will highlight the negative effects of over-exploitation of wild species, the importance of controlling trade in wild species products, the importance of developing programmes for sustainable use of wild species, and the significance of maintaining biodiversity to the economic development of rural communities.

Justification: The Chinese people are placing a very heavy burden on nature and this cannot be sustained. Everyone must learn how to respect nature and use only what can be naturally replaced. The present educational curriculum in primary and middle schools does not adequately convey the importance of maintaining biodiversity and teachers are not trained to provide this knowledge to their students.

Actions: The public awareness campaign will require extensive consultation with technical agencies, educational agencies and broadcasting and propaganda agencies. The campaign should build on existing religious beliefs and traditional conservation practices such as Buddhism, Taoism and "Longshan".

Examples of activities that could be considered include:

• Weekly TV and radio announcements;
  
• Regular articles in the national newspapers;
  
• Publication of a newsletter for academics and teachers;
  
• Publication of an international newsletter; -Brochures for school-children; formation of "green" clubs;
  
• Preparation of video films;
  
• Preparation of background reviews for policy makers.

International Aspects: With help from relevant international agencies, public education materials in other countries should be evaluated to identify those most suitable for use in China. Such material will require translation and adaptation to China's educational and public communications systems.

Attention must be paid to communicating China's accomplishments in conservation, particularly in relation to its adoption and implementation of the Biodiversity Convention. International agencies and NGOs could supply awareness materials, artwork and videos as well as other support and cooperation in mounting such a campaign.

Key Recommendation 4: ESTABLISH NATIONAL BIODIVERSITY INFORMATION SERVICE

The Government of China should urgently develop a coordinated national Biodiversity Information Service. This must be closely linked to a data network based on field survey, inventory and monitoring as well as remote sensing.The Biodiversity Information Service will be needed for identifying priorities for conservation action, habitat restoration, species management, legislation listing and determining harvest quotas and utilisation controls. The data service must be based on a data management system designed to meet specific output needs. The network of data sources will need strong coordination between the many agencies involved. Common standards must be adopted to enable easy data exchange between national and international data managers.

Justification: There are already many sources of biodiversity information inside and outside China, but no attempt has been made to coordinate and focus these in the service of biodiversity conservation and sustainable use. If decision-makers are to make progress, they will need coordinated advice from the scientific community, based on compatible information supplied by a wide range of experts. To reduce duplication and data incompatibility, the Biodiversity Information Service will be established by the Biodiversity Planning and Coordination Unit (see Recommendation 1). This recommendation complies with Article 17 of the Convention on Biological Diversity.
International aspects: Linkages should be established with various regional and global database systems such as WCMC (World Conservation Monitoring Centre), AWB (Asian Wetland Bureau), ABC (Asian Bureau for Conservation) and UNEP-GRID (United Nations Environment Programme-Global Resource Information Database).

Key Recommendation 5: INCREASE RESOURCES DEVOTED TO BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION

China should strengthen institutions and human resources involved in biodiversity research and management. This strengthening is required at the country, provincial and county levels.

Justification: Current levels of financial and manpower investment in biodiversity conservation in China are disproportionately small in relation to the importance of biodiversity for the economic and ecological welfare and environmental safety of the country. For example, in terms of the number of personnel involved in wildlife management, there are over 1200 management officials at national level in US while there are only 200 in China.

Already existing institutions need further financial as well as political support and other incentives for their activities. Support and incentives for people and institutions are most urgently needed for management personnel, training, funding, research and buffer-zone development around protected areas.

BWG/CCICED ANNEXE 1

RECOMMENDED ACTIVITIES UNDER THE CONVENTION ON
BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY

The following recommendations are structured under the relevant article headings of the Convention.

Article 5: Cooperation

A single focal point should be identified to serve as the coordination channel for ensuring that international assistance in biodiversity conservation is better coordinated and focused on national priority issues. This unit should also actively solicit international assistance needed. CCICED could fulfill this role.

Justification: It is noted that at present international agencies are aligned at many different contact points within the government leading to considerable duplication of effort and even unhealthy competition.

Article 6: General Measures for Conservation and Sustainable Use

The National Biodiversity Planning and Coordinating Unit (see Key Recommendation 2) should, as an early priority, work with relevant agencies to bring together the several uncoordinated biodiversity action plans for China that currently exist or are under development, review and combine these to produce an authoritative National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan.

Suitable experts should also prepare species and group action plans for special conservation programmes under the overall plan.

International Aspects: o help policy-makers and government administrators in China gain a better understanding of the requirements for sustainable use of wild species, IUCN's policy guidelines on the basic principles for sustainable use should be made available in Chinese. The government should consider how national and provincial policies may be adjusted to accommodate and control community-based management of wild species.

Article 7. Identification and Monitoring

Extensive field survey, inventory and monitoring programmes are required to document the distribution, status, populations levels and levels of utilisation of biological resources. This will need a coordinated approach by both academic and management authorities. In addition rural people will need training in the collection of primary data. The data flow must feed into the national network of biodiversity data management centres (see Key Recommendation 4).

International Aspects: International agencies can assist in providing data recording standards and data exchange protocols. China's databases should be linked to regional and global data management programmes both to meet the obligations under the Convention and to benefit from international data downloads of application value within China.

Article 8. In-situ conservation

• protected areas

Extend the terrestrial Protected Area (PA) system to include a fuller representational range of non-forest ecosystems such as steppe, grassland, desert, scrub and wetland systems.

Extending the PA system will require greater coordination between Ministry of Forestry (MOF), Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) and the National Environment Protection Agency (NEPA) and can be greatly strengthened by building strong links with a variety of international agencies. The idea of putting responsibility for management of all PA's under a single ministry should be considered.

Consideration should be given to establishing a national parks commission with representatives of the different agencies responsible for the different habitat/ecosystems represented in the country. Such a commission would be especially valuable in coordinating a developing tourist industry.

• ecosystem coverage

Designate a responsible agency in charge of establishing a representative system of marine and coastal protected areas. This should be planned in collaboration with IUCN-GEF project for establishing a global network of Marine Protected Areas

• buffer zones/integration

In areas where PA's are small and/or surrounded by high densities of human population, great emphasis must be placed on the development of stable buffer zones. Where possible small PA's should be linked by habitat corridors or buffered by semi-wild adjacent land-use.

• restoration

Where lowland habitat around mountain reserves have been totally converted or degraded, efforts should be made to recreate lowland extensions through habitat restoration so as to preserve a more complete latitudinal spectrum of habitat types.

Justification: Lowland habitats are the richest in species diversity. Many species are only found at low altitude. Many lost habitats were adequately documented in the 1950's and 60's to guide such restoration.

Reforestation should be more diversified. Forest function value for soil and water protection, provision of shelter, fuel, recreation and biodiversity conservation should be taken more into consideration when selecting species for planting.

Justification: Current policy of planting huge areas with monoculture conifer forests is a threat to biodiversity recovery, ecologically risky and often provides less effective soil and water protection than mixed forests. Natural regeneration from residual seeds and rootstock should be allowed more often to proceed. Policy revisions are needed to rationalise the reforestation programme.

• control of alien species

Regulations should be developed to prohibit the importation and introduction of alien exotic species until full screening and environmental impact assessment has proved that they are safe.

Justification: There are already several documented cases where artificially introduced species have caused extinction or extirpation of endemic species in China, especially into freshwater systems.

• respect traditional knowledge

Traditional knowledge held by minority groups in China should be fully documented and the resulting knowledge on use of wild species disseminated to rural people who can benefit from greater appreciation of the use of wild species.

Article 9. Ex-situ conservation

Great care must be taken in approval of schemes presented as ex situ conservation.

Justification: Many of these are a serious drain on wild resources and are motivated by commercial rather than conservation objectives.

As a matter of policy, a cost/benefit analysis should be completed before development of captive breeding facilities are authorized.

Justification: Construction and maintenance of captive breeding facilities for wild mammals and birds and some reptiles can be extremely expensive and very risky as little is known about the diet, health, reproductive, or behavioral requirements of most species in these groups.

China's zoos and botanical gardens must play a much more positive role in conservation and public awareness. A national plan for ex-situ conservation should be drawn up.

Justification: Zoos in China currently do little to educate the public about the importance of conservation or the status of the animals they exhibit. Most zoos constitute a serious drain on natural resources. Breeding should be improved so that they are at least self-sufficient.

Article 10. Sustainable Use of Components of Biological Diversity

Ban non-sustainable hunting and harvesting practices (including forestry) and encourage alternate activities for rural communities to improve living standards. Promote village models of sustainable utilisation of resources only where:

a) the resource base is large and capacity for replacement is high,
b) control mechanisms can be applied to limit harvest to sustainable levels, and
c) a monitoring system and regulating authority is present.

Justification: The growing wealth of China's huge population combined with a strong tradition of using wild species for food, medicine, fur and other purposes makes China a major potential drain of both national and regional biodiversity. It will prove very difficult to ensure that utilization remains sustainable.

The CITES Management Authority should commission a review of the administrative procedures in relation to implementing China's requirements under CITES. The review should identify personnel needs and recommend more efficient mechanisms to control imports and exports of wild species products.

Article 11. Incentive Measures

Ministry of Agriculture should develop a compensation scheme to encourage the continued cultivation of diverse crops even though these may not be as productive as current favourite varieties.

To take pressure off the continued use of endangered species of medicinal plants and animals, measures should be taken to promote the use of medicinal alternatives or synthetically produced replicates of active compounds identified in traditionally used species.

Article 12. Research and Training

Strengthen training syllabuses at those universities and institutes offering courses in various fields of biodiversity management and extend such training to a wider range of civil servants and others.

Actions:

1)Training Seminars. CAS should organise training seminars to introduce the importance of biodiversity conservation to the following amongst others:

• Senior government officials and decision makers;
  
• Administrators and forest guards in reserve management;
  
• Customs officials and others who need to identify wildlife;
  
• Conservation biologists.

2)Research. A series of collaborative studies between Chinese and foreign scientists is needed on at least the following:

• Human use of landscapes, ecosystems, animals and plants, especially in those areas changing fastest.
  
• Driving forces underlying changes in landscapes, ecosystems and wildlife populations (economics, trade, consumption).
  
• Resilience of wildlife and ecosystems; sustainable harvesting rates.
  
• Alternative human use strategies or alternative resources for endangered species.
  
• Biodiversity impact assessment methodologies for current and future policies and development projects.
  
• Restoration needs of degraded areas (with demonstration projects).

These research efforts should be tied to capacity building in the China. Adequate national as well as international funding for these combined research and training efforts should be sought.

Article 13. Public Education and Awareness

Launch a major national public awareness campaign to prompt a new ethos and national movement to restore the productive environment of China. This should promote the establishment of school clubs, NGO's and public societies as well as work through government agencies and institutions.

Actions: Biodiversity and development is an issue that cuts across all sectors of society. In spite all the information currently available, there is still much confusion. A series of seminars and workshops could be organized in which selected high ranking scientists, managers and politicians meet to discuss the necessary compromises between development and biodiversity. The various perspectives on the question would be presented and discussed in working groups addressing the needs of various sub-sectors such as forestry, fisheries, and agriculture.

Article 14. Impact Assessment and Minimizing Adverse Impacts

All major dam and hydrological projects that will create barriers to aquatic systems should be undertaken only after extensive environmental impact assessment (EIA) and where necessary construction of fish ladders or other structures to maintain gene-flow across such barriers.

Justification: Many of China's endemic fish and river species (e.g. dolphins) are endangered by changes in river flows. Many local extirpations are already documented.

Mechanisms for Effecting Biodiversity Conservation.

Article 16. Access to and Transfer of Technology

Efforts must be made to attract more technical expertise, training, equipment and funding.

Justification: China could benefit greatly from a considerable transfer of international technology on methods of protecting and managing its biological resources.

Actions: CCICED should assist in identifying likely agencies able to cooperate in such technical transfer. Some of the transfer will take place in the form of training (see article 12.).

Article 17. Exchange of Information

China should mobilise all available information on ecosystems, species and genetic variation in the service of biodiversity conservation and sustainable use of living resources.

Justification: In meeting its obligations under the Convention on Biological Diversity to exchange information, China needs to mobilise these data sources. These data exist in many different forms, including published and unpublished books, maps and reports, remotely sensed photographs and digital files, computerised text, spatial information and data. As a first step in making the data more freely accessible within and outside China, it will be necessary to catalogue these information resources and disseminate the catalogue widely.

Actions: CCICED should prepare a computerised metadatabase (a database of databases). In effect, this will be a catalogue from which interested researchers, analysts and planners will be able to select the information they need for effective management of biological diversity. The information in the catalogue will be gathered by means of a questionnaire disseminated widely to institutions in China and abroad.

CCICED should help to draw up a set of information standards for adoption by all biodiversity data compilers in order to facilitate exchange of information. CCICED should also forge international linkages with relevant regional and global biodiversity databases.

Article 18. Technical and Scientific Cooperation

Organize in China a series of international workshops and seminars on biodiversity issues. Arrange for more Chinese participation in international meetings and training courses.

Attract to China more international agencies to undertake joint or cooperative studies and conservation projects. Invite foreign scientists to undertake studies in conservation topics with Chinese counterparts (all levels from PhD students, short term visits, to sabbaticals). Appropriate institutional conditions should be provided to insure this is a feasible and attractive possibility.

Justification: Whilst Chinese scientists are of the highest standards in some branches of biology, taxonomy and ecology, other fields such as field biology, wildlife management and population studies are falling behind. A joint programme is the best way to raise standards in the country as well as doing urgently needed studies.

Article 20. Financial Resources

Improve the attractiveness of China for international conservation funding by demonstration and better publicity of China's great commitment to conservation.

Justification: The biological arguments for significantly larger volumes of international funds coming to China for biodiversity conservation are strong but China can do more to be seen as a good place for such investment. China will become far more attractive to overseas partners if she takes a global lead in implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity, implements a more transparent programme, with clearer focus, greater coordination and greater willingness to cooperate .

As China invests more in its own programme, international agencies will increase their contributions.

International Aspects: CCICED with its wide connections through international agencies can play a significant role in locating additional external funding sources and encouraging other international agencies to support China's biodiversity programme.