Conservation in China
China is one of the fasted emerging economies, with thousands of giant factories spread out across the country. Equally so, it an environmental hazard to its large population of over 1.4 billion people — clearly looming with pollution in its toxic space.
The country faces global warming threats with its dwindling forests, disappearing rivers, little virgin land space left, not to mention its heavily polluted air. If she does not take care of the available natural resources left, the country faces severe climate change threats.
The country should embrace environmental protection efforts to sustain growth and development and ensure an environmental-friendly atmosphere for its people.
Climate Change
Climate change is a predominant challenge faced by humans and wildlife and natural habitats. Global Warming looming on every side of the continent, China will not be spared if protection efforts on the environment are not taken seriously and urgently. It threatens the integrity of terrestrial habitats, interferes with natural cycles, the flow of rivers, and weather patterns.
Global Warming has already taken effect on nature by shifting species’ varieties, changing seasonal events, decreasing snowpacks and stream flows – a rise in stream water and lake temperatures, and worse – melting glaciers. As the Asian country warms up, local communities will begin to hoard diminishing water sources and conserve the limited natural resources left.
Other projected changes include severe wildfires, drought, disease outbreaks, and the destruction of vulnerable habitats, including wildlife. There’s an urgent call for the protection of what’s left to help counterbalance inevitable changes in the environment and wildlife populations.
The Tibetan Plateau has suffered immensely with climate-change related effects in the last couple of decades. These changes have caused a dramatic impact on the watersheds that South and East Asian countries depend on, including the closed ecosystem of the Plateau.
Why is Conservancy Crucial?
Trade and Prosperity
Known as the world’s largest manufacturer and goods exporter, China is the world’s factory hub. It stands unbeaten for years as the world’s largest economy and growing exponentially with a workforce of nearly 241 million people working in the agricultural sector — relying comprehensively on the natural environment where live and work.
Atmosphere
Preservation of natural resources is of utmost importance, given that its geographical forest space is the second largest in the world, measuring astoundingly 208 million hectares – the largest marshland area in Asia. These natural regions absorb substantial amounts of carbon dioxide, for alleviating climate and fighting air pollution in the region and the world at large.
Water
The country has over 1,500 rivers, including one of the longest rivers in the world – river Yangtze as well as the Lancang-Mekong and the Yellow Rivers. These watercourses serve as a water source for the entire region supporting agricultural and industrial developments within the country and the neighboring countries downstream.
Joy and Wildlife inspiration
The panda is the national symbol in the country. The animal is a cherished symbol of the country, stealing the hearts of Chinese citizens and visiting tourists. Unfortunately, due to the deteriorating climate change, these harmless, loving animals are critically endangered species. They can only be found in the bamboo forests in the southwestern part of the country.
The Need for Conservation
Nearly fifty percent of the freshwater rivers are contaminated by a combination of waste from the factories across the industrial towns and villages. Worse still, the country faces dire fresh water shortages due to the drying rivers coupled with over-industrialization and overpopulation in Beijing. The amount of open water hovers around 75% – much lower than the commended international water supply standard.
Coastline Sea Level
The coastal sea levels continue to increase at an alarming rate. In the last six decades, eighty percent of the country’s glaciers have receded at a rate of 3mm per year since the early ’50s. Higher sea levels are likely to impact nearly the entire country’s coastal townships by the year 2050 and intensify the likelihood of destructive floods from storm gushes.
Years of Overfishing
The Chinese face an acute shortage of fish from overfishing in their coastal waters, creating the same crisis in the Atlantic Ocean where they use uncouth fishing methods. The country’s fisheries have significantly declined, causing job losses and dwindling economic benefits for the livelihood of the fishing communities. Proper guidelines should be put in place to minimize the extinction of fish in the oceans and a revival of industries to improve the economy of the ordinary fishermen along the coastlines.
Air Quality Standards
In the year 2014, only eleven out of seventy-four Chinese cities put under the government’s watch for excessive air pollution met the minimum set standards for the quality atmosphere. Most cities have worrying air pollution levels that pose an increased risk of respiratory illnesses such as Asthma and bronchitis.
Solutions
Conservation of the environment is a work in progress for all the spheres involved, including wildlife, climate change, water preservation, and cleansing of the air. The Chinese government, in conjunction with joint environment agencies, works tirelessly to observe international best practices to preserve the endangered atmosphere. To do this, all stakeholders must comply and advocate for the safeguarding of valuable ecosystem services to humanity – by ensuring the free flow of clean water from the rivers, prevent overfishing and destruction of marine life, and cleansing the air to provide a stable climate.