27 July 2015
CCS COMMENTARY:
If you want to consume more, you have to consume more responsibly
The conservation of biodiversity and protected areas has increased dramatically in China over the last
few years. Over 2000 nature reserves are now in existence and many other kinds of protected areas
have been established around the country. In China, the protected area system includes nature
reserves, scenic spots, historical sites and forest parks and reserves, many of them protected areas for
recreation purposes. One of the widely-known man-made forest parks established in China was the
Beijing Olympic forest park, an area developed before the Olympic Games in 2008. These are all
favourable establishments for the country, especially considering the major environmental problems
being faced today. Although India recently surpassed China as the country with the most polluted
cities in the world, China is still one of the world’s most polluted countries, with severe air and water
pollution, among many other environmental concerns.
Protected areas and eco-tourism in China
As a result of the increase of the protected area system, the concept of
eco-tourism has now become very popular in China, with many citizens
visiting protected sites for a number of recreational reasons. This has
led to some huge problems for the areas, however, including how to
manage the throngs of visitors to the areas, while balancing the need for
environmental protection. According to international standards and the
International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) category
Pudacuo National Park, Shangri-La
system of protected areas, very strict rules and zones should be applied
within the different types of protected areas; zones which are dedicated to biodiversity protection and thus no
development may take place; while in other types of areas, limited amounts of tourism and recreation may be
allowed. In China, these kinds of standards are often not applied, with thousands of tourists visiting the sites
on most days. In many cases, it seems the economic benefits from so many tourists visiting are more
important than protecting the biodiversity in the area. If eco-tourism continues to grow in China, it needs to be
done in an increasingly responsible and sustainable way.
Having visited a number of protected areas in China such as the Jingyuetan scenic spot in Changchun, the
Olympic forest park in Beijing, Pudacuo National Park in Shangri-La as well as many other historical sites and
mountainous areas, the one thing that is very noticeable in these areas is the number of people visiting. It is
clearly very popular to visit protected areas and many have different reasons for visiting: wanting to learn
about nature and wildlife, cultural and spiritual reasons as well as enjoying leisure activities in a natural
setting. However, challenges arise for these areas when the numbers of people and vehicles in the area exceed
what the area can handle. Priority should be given to biodiversity protection but often in China, all visitors are
welcomed as it means more economic benefits for the area. Thus, when talking to conservation specialists in
China, many of them claim that protected areas do not really exist in China. Yet they do exist, even if just on
paper.
These challenges need to be addressed and strict rules need to be put in place in order for the protected area
system to work and for ecosystems to exist without threat or harm from the surrounding polluted
environment and/or thousands of visitors. There are many examples of countries with similar challenges like
China who have managed to implement a protected areas system successfully. Should China be looking at
other countries where this has been successful, and if so, how can China balance the need for economic
success from the protected areas with the need to protect the environment? A case in point may be South
Africa and its national park system, a system that has yet to be developed in China.
How do other countries manage their protected areas?
In South Africa there is very strict regulation for both protected areas (Protected Areas Act 57 of 2003), as
well as for the national parks system (National Parks Act 56 of 1926). South Africa is home to 22 national
parks, including the famous Kruger National Park (proclaimed as early as 1926). The national parks system is
managed by one agency, South African National Parks (SANParks), an important move for the country, as it
alleviates the complications of too many actors involved in the management of parks. This is one of the major
challenges in China where the protected areas are established and managed by different ministries and
departments such as the State Forestry Administration, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Housing
and Urban and Rural Development as well as local environmental protection bureaus. As many as ten
different departments could be managing a protected area which leads to a number of challenges in
management and regulation.
As mentioned earlier, South Africa’s national park system could be a valuable protected areas system to
consider for China. The national parks objectives are firstly for environmental protection and secondly for
recreation and education. Important to note, recreation plays a secondary role to environmental protection,
however, there have been structures put in place for recreation. South Africa receives thousands of
international tourists for its natural and scenic landscapes hence the country has put a lot of effort into
protecting its environment but also ensuring responsible tourism. One of the ways they have done this is
through the National Parks Act that regulates the management and plans of the park. Very strict laws have to
be abided by within parks and this includes rules on the numbers of people and vehicles allowed in the park
at one time. Regulation on protected areas in South Africa has been successful for the most part as local and
provincial government departments abide by the national regulation. This makes things more clear. No
doubt, there may be challenges, especially between the different levels of government and the goals of the
individual departments, however the national regulation is primary and is strictly implemented.
Conclusion
China is known as one of the 17 mega diverse nations in the world, meaning the country is home to some of
the richest and most unique biodiversity in the world. If China wants to maintain this and protect its
biodiversity, it will need to improve its existing protected area system, and this may need to start with
enacting strict regulation. So far, there is regulation of protected areas in China for nature reserves, scenic
landscapes and historical landscapes, however, environmental experts have agreed that it needs to change
and become more relevant because of increasing environmental challenges as well as the popularity of ecotourism. Protected areas will become more popular and current regulation does not cater to the needs of the
areas today. Strict rules need to be set in place so that environmental protection may be the priority. If China
wants to continue its path of eco-tourism, more responsible protection of biodiversity will need to take place.
Many examples of successful environmental protection around the world can be found and China could do
well to learn from them.
Meryl Burgess
Research Analyst
Centre for Chinese Studies
Stellenbosch University
“Commentaries are written by Research Analysts at the Centre and focus on current and topical discussions or media events with
regard to China or China/Africa relations. Occasionally, the CCS accepts commentaries from non-CCS affiliated writers with expertise in specific fields. Their views do not necessarily reflect those of the CCS. Commentaries can be used freely by the media or
other members of the interested public if duly referenced to the author(s) and the CCS.”
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