Xiamen leads the way in safeguarding lush mountains, lucid waters

Improved marine environment

More than 20 endangered Chinese white dolphins were seen in the sea near Haicang Bridge in Xiamen on Jan 31. Incomplete statistics show that the rare dolphin was observed in Xiamen 27 times in January, indicating an increase in their population.

Xiamen enjoys 355 square kilometers of sea area and a 194-kilometer coastline and is home to more than 2,000 types of marine organisms, including 12 endangered species, such as the Chinese white dolphin and lancelet, which live in the 75.88-sq-km national nature reserve for rare marine species.

The reserve has been improving its management by strengthening scientific and technological support, enhancing law enforcement, promoting science education, and facilitating international and regional cooperation, said Yu Xingguang, former director of the Third Institute of Oceanography of the Ministry of Natural Resources.

Statistics from the Xiamen bureau of natural resources and planning showed that the number of Chinese white dolphins off Xiamen's coast has been steadily increasing from about 60 in the early 1990s to more than 80 in 2020. The area has also become a unique geographic location in need of protection.

A garden city powered by reform

In 2016, the Xiamen government entrusted the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research of the Chinese Academy of Sciences to formulate a tailored plan for the city's environmental protection reforms.

The city has launched a series of innovative protection and restoration projects for the ecosystem over the past few years, including carrying out a "cross-island" development strategy, protecting biological diversity, and piloting the construction of a sponge city. Its success in promoting the reform and modernization of environmental protection is being studied by other cities across the country.

In December, Xiamen led local governments in China in developing an independent accounting system for measuring the value of ecosystems. It mainly involves services for relaxation and the capacity to maintain and expand biodiversity.

The indicators not only directly reflected the ecological benefits at the municipal and district levels, but also revealed changes over years, which has helped local governments at all levels improve their work.

In addition, Xiamen has improved the applications of this system by setting up an evaluation system for national demonstration cities for environmental protection and a management mechanism for the development within the ecological deadlines, pushing forward the transformation of lush mountains and clear water into invaluable assets.