Released on 9 October 2025 by China’s Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR), the “Guideline for the Implementation Assessment of Provincial Spatial Ecological Restoration Plans (Trial)” aims to standardise the evaluation of provincial ecological restoration initiatives. It establishes an assessment framework to ensure the effective implementation of restoration plans and support adaptive management.
This new guideline complements the “Guide for the Compilation of Provincial Spatial Ecological Restoration Plans”, published in July 2025, by focusing on the evaluation phase. It introduces a system of 39 indicators (3 mandatory and 36 optional ones) to measure progress, benefits, and overall success of restoration efforts at the provincial level.
Assessment process and indicators
The assessment is organised into three stages: preparation, implementation, and results management. Provincial natural resources departments will lead the process, with support from development and reform commissions, finance, ecology and environment, and housing and urban-rural development departments.
The 3 mandatory indicators include:
- Ecological protection “redline” areas (legally designated zones subject to strict environmental protection controls)
- Proportion of protected land areas in relation to total land area
- Forest coverage rate
Topics such as wetland protection rate, coastal ecosystem recovery rate, biodiversity indices, ecological corridor connectivity and employment generated by restoration projects are part of the 36 recommended indicators for optional consideration.
Assessments shall be conducted every five years, aligned with provincial spatial planning evaluations, and results will be integrated into the national “One Map” spatial planning system, a unified digital platform for spatial planning data.
