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UPDATED: May 26, 2009 NO. 21 MAY 28, 2009
Creating Harmony Between People and Nature
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Jia Zhibang, Director of the State Forestry Administration

During the 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), Hu Jintao, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, called for the building of an "ecological civilization" and reiterated the Scientific Outlook on Development, which puts people first and ensures harmonious and sustainable growth.

Ecological development is a long-term and arduous task. The Chinese Government wants to implement the Scientific Outlook on Development and achieve balanced development for both humans and nature. Its strategic goals are to "build an ecological civilization" and "a country with a sound ecology and environment" as part of plans to engineer a prosperous society.

Striking the balance between humanity and nature depends on handling relationships, like those between economic development, population growth, the use of natural resources, and environmental protection.

An ecological civilization refers to one that obtains material and spiritual wealth by following the objective principle of the harmonious development of humankind, nature and society. It is a cultural philosophy governing the relations between mankind and nature, mankind and mankind, and mankind and society. The fundamental purpose of an ecological civilization is to coexist in harmony, to achieve rounded development and the sustainable prosperity of all.

The health of ecological systems in general, and forests in particular, are directly linked to the survival and development of humanity. The Chinese Government has long attached great importance to forests and has logged several significant achievements. These have not only improved China's ecological situation, but have also made a contribution to relieving the global environmental crisis.

The goal of building an ecological civilization is a substantial part of protecting global ecological security and sustaining human culture.

In the past, humanity witnessed more than one civilization go extinct as a result of ecological disaster.

Presently, climate change, grassland degradation and desertification, water scarcity and species extinctions have become a prominent threat to the progress of civilization.

The ecological crisis has forced humans to reflect on the products of their cultures and demanded that they make many hard choices.

Forests and wetlands, as the main constituents of terrestrial ecosystems, play a primary role in the global environment and account for 70 percent of chemical recycling on the earth. They play a vital role in maintaining and balancing life on the planet.

The fact cannot be ignored that forests absorb and store 90 percent of the carbon on the earth and provide 60 percent of the oxygen that allows myriad life forms to exist.

Among the 10 major pressures stressing the environment, including loss of forests, wetland degradation, water scarcity and chronic drought, desertification, species extinction, water and air pollution, soil erosion, floods and climate change, eight could be solved through proper forestry management.

Building an ecological civilization requires accelerating the development of modern forestry practices to improve the health of the woodlands, a conscientious forestry industry and a culture rooted in the wealth of the natural world. To do this, society must strengthen its foundational knowledge of ecological development and environmental conservation on the nation's undeveloped lands.

Building an ecological civilization poses great challenges for China, while also offering loads of new opportunities. Under the guidance of the Outlook on Scientific Development, we should vigorously push forward the modernization of the industry by setting three comprehensive goals.

First, cultivate resources by protecting forests, desert ecosystems and wetlands. A national ecological security and early warning system based on forest and grassland health needs to be established.

By strengthening ecological development and resource conservation, China will become a country with a healthy and sound environment by 2020. Forests will cover 20 percent of the nation by 2010, 23 percent by 2020, and will be maintained at 26 percent by 2050. By 2020, wetland nature reserves will number 600 around the country; of those, internationally important wetlands will number about 80. More than 60 percent of natural wetlands will be protected, so as to establish a comparatively complete wetland conservation and management system. By 2020, there will be about 2,300 nature reserves covering an area of 140 million hectares, which would comprise 14.5 percent of China's total land area. This ambitious goal would put 95 percent of the wild fauna and flora species on the National Priority for Protection list under effective protection.

Second, accelerate the modernization of the forestry industry. New growth in the industry will be cultivated and the methods of development will be transformed. China is committed to building an efficient, competitive and healthy forestry industry.

Third, accelerate the establishment of ecological wisdom throughout civilization. We will spread knowledge about the environment and ecology, set examples by protecting our natural systems and promote environmental morality and harmonious existence between humans and nature.

A series of infrastructure projects will need to be built up to accomplish these goals, including museums, technology and science centers along with specimen centers in forests, farmlands, natural reserves, wetlands and deserts.



 
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