【苍南县】Fostering a community of life for man and nature

陈翠松 2021-07-29 18:12:44

A herd of wild Asian elephants left the Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve in southwest China’s Yunnan Province and started marching northward in mid-March. Major global medias including TV Asahi, the BBC and the New York Times keep on reporting the animals’ ongoing journey.

Asian elephants are under first-class state protection in China and are listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species. Thanks to conservation efforts China has made in recent decades, the population of wild Asian elephants has been increasing in China, from 180 in 1980s to about 300 now.

Why the migration of the wild elephants can step into international spotlight? Why people from all over the world are paying continuous attention on the herd? Analyzing the possible reasons behind the phenomenon, we can find that the worldwide awareness of ecological and environmental protection may be the main reason. And what must be done?

Ecological and environmental protection calls for continuing efforts. Apart from the elephants, the number of giant pandas has reached more than 1800 and their status have been upgraded from “endangered” to “vulnerable” recently. These reflect, to some extent, China’s achievements in the protection of biodiversity and ecological restoration. But we still have a long way to go. We need keep going on strengthen the protection of rare and endangered animals, broaden their natural habitats, establish a relatively complete system of protected natural areas to improve their living conditions. In addition, large natural ecosystems need to be systematically and completely protected to allow their numbers to increase steadily.

Ecological and environmental protection calls for closer cooperation. Forests are disappearing at an alarming rate, over half of the world’s wetlands have disappeared in the last century. Humans are consuming natural resources equivalent to 1.6 times the nature can provide sustainably. Climate change poses pressing, formidable and long-term challenges to us all. So that, worldwide awareness and action to protect the environment need to be encouraged urgently. History has taught us that working together, we could get great things done to the benefit of the world. International cooperation in whatever forms such as anti-poaching programs are not only necessary but also urgent for wildlife conservation and so many other areas as early as possible. Global joint statements on addressing climate change need to be issued to prevent, halt and reverse the degradation of ecosystems all around the world. Increasing support for developing countries on ecological and environmental education, knowledge sharing and the application of new technologies.

In today’s China, the concept that “clear waters and green mountains are as valuable as mountains of gold and silver” has long been deeply recognized. Respecting nature, following nature, and protecting nature is becoming a conscious code of conduct for governments at all levels and the general public. China is willing to continue cooperating with the international community to take care of the planet on which we live. In a word, the future of the planet, depend on what vision we embrace and what choice we make. Let’s work and act together to build a life community of humans and the natural world.