China will strengthen the protection and restoration of grasslands and further develop “ecological civilization” according to a State-Council announcement released 30 March 2021.
The evolutionary changes and inner mechanism of grasslands are to be respected to facilitate recuperation and a safe and stable natural ecosystem. Comprehensive measures should be taken to fully protect and systematically restore the grassland ecosystem. Measures shall be adjusted according to local conditions. Based on a well-protected ecosystem, grassland resources will be scientifically utilized.
The document moreover introduces a set of key measures: A preliminary system for grassland protection and restoration shall be established so that grassland deterioration may be fundamentally curbed by 2025. Ten years later, the system shall be further improved upon. The comprehensive vegetation coverage for grasslands is foreseen to stabilize at about 60 percent. In the middle of the century, all degraded grasslands will be comprehensively treated and restored. By then, the grassland ecosystem should have achieved a virtuous circle. The grassland survey system will be improved and base numbers, including grassland types, ownership, area, distribution, quality, and utilization status should be clearly identified. Grassland nature reserves are also to be built to protect biodiversity.
