"Humanity is at a crossroads in the question of a legacy to future generations." In September 2020, the Secretariat of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity released the fifth edition of the Global Biodiversity Outlook, which states: "Biodiversity is being lost at an unprecedented rate, and the pressures that are reducing it are still intensifying. ”
In the face of global crises and challenges, in order to strengthen the conservation of the earth's biological resources, the 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity is scheduled to be held in Kunming, Yunnan Province in two phases in October 2021 and the first half of 2022, which is the first time it has come to China, representing the international community's recognition of China's biodiversity conservation efforts and achievements.
As the capital, Beijing carries the four core functions of the national political center, cultural center, international exchange center and scientific and technological innovation center. How to balance and coordinate the relationship between economic and social development and ecological protection in this megacity with a permanent population of more than 20 million people, and how to achieve harmonious coexistence between man and nature, is a major test of urban governance.
During the "13th Five-Year Plan" period, the index of Beijing's ecological environment status (EI) has increased year after year, from 64.2 in 2015 to 70.2 in 2020, an increase of 9.3%. The area of Beijing accounts for about 0.17% of the country's land area, while the number of plant species accounts for about 8% of the national total. More than 500 species of birds have been recorded here, accounting for more than one-third of the country's bird species, and ranking second among G20 capitals.
In 2020, Beijing launched a biodiversity survey and recorded 5,086 species in the field, of which 70 were newly recorded species in Beijing. In the survey, the Northeast hedgehog, weasels, Japanese pine sparrowhawks, etc. were found in the central urban area, and the bald-headed crane, the black-spotted side-fold frog, the Chinese forest frog, the Chifeng snake, the packeye and the blackfin carp frequently "appeared" in the plain area, indicating that Beijing's biodiversity has become more and more abundant.
Two rounds of afforestation project construction of one million mu, highway for the ancient tree group detour, winter Olympic area construction precision construction, for the world's "loneliest" grapes to find companions, to save an ordinary autumn sand duck to send firefighters... The vivid and concrete things and the trade-offs in them are a portrayal of the city's philosophy and attitude. British environmental experts who have lived here for many years have proposed to build Beijing into a world-renowned "biodiversity capital", which has received great attention from the Beijing Municipal Government.
Man and nature are a community of destiny. To protect nature is to protect human beings themselves.
As the world enters the urban age, the role of cities in conserving biodiversity is becoming more and more important. On June 5, 2021, the Regulations on Ecological Protection and Green Development of Ecological Conservation Areas in Beijing were officially implemented, which clearly proposed that Beijing should establish and improve the biodiversity conservation system of ecological conservation areas. This is China's first provincial-level legislation on specific functional areas. Since then, Beijing's green development has added another rule of law "barrier", and Beijing will be more vibrant and everything will be prosperous.
Edited by Zhao Xi