New lease on life for endangered animals

"The expanding population of snow leopards (in Qinghai) provides compelling evidence of an improving ecological environment in the region," says Zhang Dehai, chief engineer of the management bureau of the Sanjiangyuan National Park.

Amid efforts to improve the habitats for wild animals and conserve the ecosystems, China has been piloting a national parks system and implementing its "red line "strategy for ecological conservation, an important institutional innovation in its land use planning and eco-environmental reform.

The red line strategy enables China "to build a resilient environment that is able to adapt to future impacts and shocks", says Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, executive secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity.

Over the past decade, the area of new forests in China has exceeded 70 million hectares, ranking first in the world, according to the National Forestry and Grassland Administration.

During the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-20), China saw the number of natural reserves increase by more than 700, and has restored 1,200 kilometers of its coastline and 23,000 hectares of seaside wetlands.

Through continuous efforts in fighting pollution, China has seen cleaner air and clearer waters.