China tops world rankings for natural heritage conservation

Roughly 90 percent of China's natural and mixed natural-cultural UNESCO World Heritage sites have received a "good" or higher rating from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), well above the global average of 61 percent and the Asian average of 68 percent.

The figures were highlighted by the National Forestry and Grassland Administration in a media release on Saturday, coinciding with the country's 10th Cultural and Natural Heritage Day.

China currently hosts 15 of the world's 235 natural heritage sites and four of the world's 25 sites recognized for both cultural and natural features, leading the world in both categories.

These sites cover about 80,000 square kilometers across 20 provincial regions, encompassing diverse ecosystems including mountains, forests, grasslands, lakes, wetlands, deserts and coastal zones.

The administration highlighted a series of measures taken to strengthen heritage protection, including the development of a comprehensive legal framework built around a National Park system.

In addition to enacting the National Park Law, the country has revised regulations on nature reserves and scenic areas, and issued management rules for national-level nature parks and natural World Heritage sites.

The administration said near-natural restoration has been carried out at more than 80 percent of the heritage sites, effectively enhancing the integrity of local ecosystems.

Over 90 percent of the sites give priority to hiring local residents, and heritage-based cultural tourism has become a pillar industry in many regions, it continued.

The administration has pledged to continue strengthening systematic conservation at these sites, integrate natural heritage into the monitoring system for protected areas, and promote coordinated management.