There are three types of protected areas in China namely national parks nature reserves and nature parks. At present 11800 nature reserves have been established occupying approximately 18% of national territory and 4.6% of territorial sea. China also boasts one of the highest biodiversity in the world.

China Green Times October 31 (reported by Sun Peng). On October 30 the First World Forum on Nature Conservation · China commenced in Shenzhen. Comprised of a main forum and nine sub-forums discussions were undertaken surrounding themes such as nature conservation management biodiversity protection and public education about nature conservancy. Nature conservancy experts and scholars from nations and regions such as Austria the U.S. and the U.K. shared their respective experiences and cutting-edge technology and expertise.

China has one of the highest biodiversity in the world and the Chinese government considers the protection of the natural ecology and biodiversity an important priority. After more than six decades of hard work China has established a wide range of protected areas of varying categories functionalities and tiers which play crucial roles in protecting biodiversity preserving natural heritages improving the quality of the ecological environment and upholding the country's ecological safety.

China has established 11800 protected areas which occupy approximately 18% of national territory and 4.6% of territorial sea. There are three types of protected areas in China namely national park nature reserve and nature parks. Specifically national park is the type of natural ecosystem most representative of China and at present ten national park system trial sites related to Sanjiangyuan giant panda northeastern China tiger and leopard Qilian Mountains and Hainan tropical rainforest have been established across the country. A nature reserve is a natural concentration of typical natural ecosystems and rare and endangered fauna and flora species that mandate protection. The nature reserves of China are spread over 35 million hectares of natural forests and 20 million hectares of natural wetlands. They protect 90.5% of land ecosystems 85% wild fauna and flora species and 65% of higher plant communities. Nature parks protect important natural ecosystems natural heritages and natural landscapes. At present there are 244 state-level scenic and historic interest areas 897 state-level forest parks 270 state-level geoparks 48 state-level ocean parks and 898 state-level wetlands in China.

Deputy Director Li Chunliang of the National Forest and Grassland Administration of China remarked on the opening ceremony that strengthening nature protection laws should be the next crucial step to realize positive development in Chinese nature conservation efforts which would entail a nature protection legal system revolving around the Law of Protected Areas as basic law to be supplemented by rules and regulations of nature reserves scenic and historic interest areas nature parks and other entities. Establish and improve protected areas system including but not limited to ecological compensation governmental transfer payment and other beneficial and preferential policies and measures. Establish a protected area database and monitoring platform based on biodiversity survey and species monitoring so as to pave the way for better spatial planning and management of protected areas. Strengthen international exchanges and cooperation about protected areas and actively foster communication and incorporation of information about the principles policies science technologies and other aspects related to the protection of nature. Promote local community development and advocate public education and the general society to protect the nature.

This forum was jointly sponsored by the National Forest and Grassland Administration International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and Guangdong Provincial Government and the first nature protection-themed international forum hosted in China after the new round of governmental reform. The agendas of the nine sub-forums respectively encompass protected area system and national territory spatial planning wild fauna and flora habitat management and ecology restoration protected area tourism experience and ecological product nature education and public participation nature protection laws regulations and system biodiversity monitoring management examination and evaluation social participation in protected areas international progress related to protected areas urban development and nature protection etc.

At the opening ceremony plaques and certificates were presented to Jiuhuashan Geopark and Yimengshan Geopark two geoparks newly inducted into the Global Geoparks network and plaques were presented to five newly inducted National Geoparks of China namely Enshi Tenglong Cave valley of Hubei Luocheng of Guangxi Du'an subterranean river of Guangxi Yangbajain of Tibet and Qingchuan earthquake ruins of Sichuan.