2024-10-27-IUCN-中国其他有效区域保护措施盘点报告_第一版（英）_96页_9mb

Summary of "A Stocktaking Report on Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures in China"

Core Content

This report provides an overview of the policies and practices related to Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECMs) in China. It highlights the role of OECMs in supporting China’s conservation goals, particularly Target 3 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF), which aims to conserve at least 30% of terrestrial, inland water, and coastal and marine areas by 2030.

The report outlines the legal and policy frameworks that underpin OECMs in China, both on land and in marine environments. It also presents 19 case studies across different governance models—government, private, community, and shared governance—to illustrate how OECMs are implemented in practice.

Main Types of OECMs

The report categorises OECMs into three main types:

• Primary Conservation: Areas that meet the IUCN definition of a Protected Area (PA) but are not officially designated as such. These areas may be managed by Indigenous communities or local governments who choose not to classify them as PAs but still provide effective biodiversity conservation.

• Secondary Conservation: Areas where biodiversity conservation is a secondary objective. These include sites managed for other purposes (e.g., agriculture, water conservation) but which have significant biodiversity outcomes. They may also include areas that enhance ecological connectivity between PAs.

• Ancillary Conservation: Areas where biodiversity conservation is a byproduct of management activities, not a primary goal. Examples include areas managed for cultural or historical purposes that incidentally protect biodiversity.

Legal and Policy Frameworks

China has a range of laws and regulations that support area-based conservation and OECMs, even outside the traditional PA system. These include:

• Forest Law: Emphasises the protection of natural and ecological non-commercial forests, which are potential OECMs due to their biodiversity contributions.
• Grassland Law: Defines essential grasslands under strict regulation, some of which could qualify as OECMs.
• Wetland Conservation Law: Establishes a hierarchical management system for wetlands, with important wetlands potentially designated as OECMs.
• Wildlife Conservation Law: Mandates the protection of wildlife habitats, which may be classified as OECMs if not included in PAs.
• Regulations on Wild Plants Protection: Identifies areas with concentrated wild plant distributions as potential OECMs.
• Yangtze River Protection Law: Encourages the establishment of conservation areas outside PAs to protect aquatic biodiversity.
• Yellow River Protection Law: Supports the protection of aquatic germplasm resources and wildlife habitats not included in PAs.
• Law on Ecological Protection of the Tibetan Plateau: Aims to enhance biodiversity conservation through comprehensive ecological management.
• Water Law: Requires the establishment of drinking water source protection systems, which can contribute to biodiversity conservation.
• Water and Soil Conservation Law: Focuses on reducing environmental degradation and protecting water and soil resources, with potential for biodiversity outcomes.

Case Studies

The report includes 19 case studies that demonstrate the application of OECMs in various contexts across China:

• Government-governed OECMs: Include Ecological Red Lines (ERLs), State-owned Forest Farms, and protected areas like the Beijing Olympic Forest Park.
• Private-governed OECMs: Examples include biodiversity-friendly industrial parks and private conservation initiatives.
• Community-governed OECMs: Include sacred natural sites managed by local ethnic communities and community conservation areas.
• Shared-governed OECMs: Highlight collaboration between institutions, such as university-led conservation areas.

These case studies illustrate how OECMs are implemented in different regions and under varying governance structures, showing both the top-down and bottom-up approaches in conservation.

Key Recommendations

To further promote OECMs in China, the report recommends:

• Awareness raising among stakeholders about the importance of OECMs.
• Establishment of a localised identification and reporting system to better categorise and document OECMs.
• Implementation of a monitoring mechanism to ensure long-term effectiveness of OECMs.
• Cooperation and exchange between China and the global community to share best practices and enhance conservation outcomes.

Conclusion

The report serves as an initial step in understanding and promoting OECMs in China. It identifies the potential for OECMs within existing legal and policy frameworks and highlights the need for further analysis, pilot projects, and in-depth reviews to advance their integration into national conservation strategies. It also suggests follow-up publications to continue documenting and sharing China’s experiences in OECMs with the world.

Next Steps

• Localised terminology for OECMs in China needs to be developed.
• Potential OECM types should be identified and classified based on China's unique environmental and social context.
• Policy and practice alignment is essential for the successful implementation of OECMs.
• International collaboration will be key to enhancing the global relevance and impact of China's OECM efforts.