Protecting China's natural landmarks

Mercedes-Benz China President and CEO Klaus Maier (left) and a representative of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) sign a formal agreement in support of the luxury carmaker's Green Legacy Program. The World Heritage Sites conservation cause was started by Mercedes-Benz China in 2007, and the company has spent 13 million yuan supporting efforts to protect Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries, the South China Karst and Lushan Mountain. File photo

Lushan Mountain, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has long attracted the attention of global scholars and tourists.

Now Germany's luxury carmaker, Mercedes-Benz, is providing financial support for conservation projects at the mountain and national park in eastern China's Jiangxi province.

The region's rapid economic growth and tourism development are creating new concerns about the surrounding landscape of the famous mountain.

Mercedes-Benz is lending its support to local government authorities and UNESCO -- the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization -- for the recently announced Lushan Mountain project.

Preservation

The project will fund cultural landscape research that will involve collecting information about local natural and cultural resources as references for future environmental protection projects.

The project's second priority is investigation of sewage treatment issues. The goal is to provide practical solutions and secure a clean water supply for the local community.

The third priority is a preservation study and design of restoration plans for a cluster of approximately 600 19th century villas and religious sites.

"As natives of Lushan Mountain, we have the obligation to maintain the sustainable development of the local ecological environment," said Deng Xiang, an official at the Lushan Mountain Heritage Administration Office.

"This program adds weight to the meaning of 'collective strengths'," he said.

In addition to on-site research, Deng said UNESCO and Mercedes-Benz are helping the administration office to create a scientific, systematic protection plan that will maximize the value of the donation.

The Lushan Mountain project is just one component of Mercedes-Benz's Green Legacy Program.

Green legacy

The Mercedes-Benz Green Legacy Program began in 2007 when protection of UNESCO World Heritage Sites became a priority for international environmental groups.

Mercedes-Benz has since become one of UNESCO's key partners in preserving cultural heritage sites in China.

With the launch of this new phase of the Green Legacy Program, Mercedes-Benz has donated a total of 13 million yuan to conservation of World Heritage Sites in China.

Previously sponsored projects include the Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries and South China Karst.

"We are delighted to be a part of the preservation work of this cherished historical site (Lushan Mountain), as well partners in the protection of nature, endangered species and magnificent karst (limestone) landforms over the past years," said Klaus Maier, president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz China Ltd.

"Our continued commitment to these sites well resonates with Mercedes-Benz's belief in harmony between mankind and nature," Maier said.

As part of its corporate social responsibility agenda, the company also has rallied employees, car dealers, customers and the media to help promote Green Legacy Program projects.

Protecting pandas

China has an abundance of natural resources. However, many of these sites are located in remote areas with less-developed economies, creating challenges in finding skilled technical assistance and a strong community base of support for environmental protection.

Recognizing these critical needs, Mercedes-Benz has been working closely with UNESCO to address such concerns in order to boost overall management capabilities at these sites.

Home to over 30 percent of the world's panda population, the Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries constitute the largest contiguous panda habitats. The location is also the first site to be supported by the Green Legacy Program.

As the first automaker to donate to this region's protection, Mercedes-Benz and UNESCO have mapped out clear targets to address issues such as low interactivity of the pandas, population degeneration and a dwindling survival rate among the young pandas.

The panda project has contributed to several breakthroughs, including the world's first advanced GIS (Geographic Information System) to be employed in panda sanctuaries to collect and analyze data.

The program established eight field-monitoring stations over an area of 100 sq km to effectively track ecosystem changes, panda movements and survival rates.

The program also provided three giant panda habitat eco-corridors measuring a total of 49 km to expand the roaming area and prevent isolation among pandas and other wildlife inhabitants.

Other valuable support included training sessions to upgrade the management skills of local staff members.

Pu Zhengxiang, director of the Ya'an World Heritage Management Office, said these actions have laid a firm foundation for the preservation of 3,870 sq km of sanctuaries and the protection of more than 300 pandas.

The Green Legacy Program also supported the restoration and rescue efforts of wildlife following last year's earthquake in Sichuan.

The program selected the South China Karst as on ongoing project after the natural limestone site was added to the World Heritage Sites list.

The South China Karst - covering Yunnan Shilin, Guizhou Libo and Chongqing Wulong - has been recognized as one of the world's leading examples of karst formations that reflect the earth's geological evolution.

Wulong's Furong Cave is the first cave in China where a long-term environment monitoring system was installed with support from the Green Legacy Program.

Through scientific monitoring and the research on landscape preservation, Furong Cave is now a model in sustainable management for all caves open to visitors in China.

Thousands of site management staff members received training on World Heritage Site regulations and practices.

Local primary and secondary students also learned about heritage protection and ecology.

With funding from the Green Legacy Program, 14 publications were produced to raise public awareness about the importance of protecting the natural environment.

(China Daily 08/17/2009 page8)