Shining light

The restoration of the Dianchi Lake is a wonderful example of China’s efforts to protect and cherish nature

During the early years of industrialization and urbanization, the Dianchi Lake in Kunming, Yunnan province, was one of the most polluted lakes in China. There are nearly 30 rivers flowing into Dianchi, but there is only one outlet, so pollutants easily built up.

Nearly 60 percent of Kunming's more than 8.6 million residents live in the Dianchi Lake basin. The density of the population and concentration of industry posed an environmental threat to the lake.

When I visited Dianchi a few years ago, I saw a lake completely transformed. Kunming has spent billions of dollars restoring the lake. The city launched a program to protect the wetlands and forests, reviving ponds, relocating residents and dismantling buildings. I was pleased to visit a lake surrounded with green lush nature and wetlands full of birds. There are beautiful walking paths and bike lanes. When I get time I would love to go biking around the amazingly restored Dianchi Lake.

Stepping off the plane in Kunming, the first thing that struck me was the crisp mountain air, tinged with the scent of exotic flowers. I immediately felt warmly welcomed by the ”City of Eternal Spring”, with its moderate climate and stunning natural beauty.

Yunnan is renowned for its rich biodiversity. It is home to a diverse array of ecosystems, including tropical rainforests, temperate forests, alpine meadows and wetlands. Hosting the United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP15) in Kunming provided an opportunity to showcase China’s efforts in biodiversity conservation and to highlight the importance of preserving this ecologically significant region.

With partners, China can lead the world toward a nature positive future in the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

Few, if any countries, hosts such a variety of nature forms as China. It spans the world’s tallest mountains in Southwest China's Xizang autonomous region to the plains in Central China, which were the cradle of the Chinese civilization. China varies from the ice cold winters of Heilongjiang province to the year-round summer of Guangdong province, from the deserts in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region to the dense rainforests in Yunnan.

The diverse landscapes of China provide a wide variety of habitats for different species to thrive. China is also one of the most biodiverse countries. Creating a beautiful China is not only critical for China, but for the world.

Yunnan boasts the best preserved tropical ecosystem in China. Some 2,273 vertebrate species or 52.1 percent of China's total, inhabit this region, while more than 19,000 high plant species or 50.2 percent of China's total are native to it.

The restoration of the Dianchi Lake in Kunming and the West Lake in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, the 10-year fishing ban in the Yangtze River, the ambitious tree planting plans, the successful conservation of giant pandas in Sichuan province and snow leopards in western China, the greening of the Kubuqi Desert in Inner Mongolia, the effective river clean-ups in Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces, and the national parks — China has a lot of best practice on nature conservation to share with the world.

Most recently China has unveiled guidelines to strengthen environmental management by tailoring regulations to specific regions, providing a framework for nature protection with individual characteristics for the different regions of China. The central government sets targets, based on the varied nature of ecosystems in the provinces. This unified national system is one of the best global practices to be shared worldwide. And Yunnan province holds significant strategic importance as an integral part of the building of a “Beautiful China”.

From a regional point of view, Yunnan province is situated in southwestern China, bordering several Southeast Asian countries, including Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam. Yunnan is connected to major transportation arteries, including railways, highways and international airports, facilitating the flow of goods, people, and capital between China and neighboring countries. The province serves as a conduit for Chinese exports to Southeast Asia and a gateway for Southeast Asian products to access the vast Chinese market.

Yunnan's diverse ethnic composition and rich cultural heritage make it an ideal platform for promoting people-to-people exchanges and cultural cooperation.

Yunnan is home to several cross-border infrastructure projects, railways, highways, and pipelines linking Yunnan with neighboring countries.

The China-Laos Railway, inaugurated in December 2021, has emerged as a vital transportation corridor, facilitating freight and passenger traffic between Vientiane, the capital of Laos, and Kunming. This 1,035-kilometer railway has surpassed expectations. It transported over 19 million passengers and 24 million metric tonnes of freight within 20 months of starting operations. For Laos, historically constrained by limited connections, the railway represents a game-changer, enabling greater economic opportunities and connectivity within the region. Through China, Laos is connected to the huge Asia-European rail network.

The railway has revitalized Laos’ tourism sector. In the first nine months after its launch of passenger services, Laos welcomed over 1.6 million tourists from other member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, a significant increase from previous years. The Lao government anticipates a continued uptick in Chinese tourist arrivals. Overall, the China-Laos Railway has not only enhanced connectivity and trade cooperation between the two countries but also catalyzed economic development and tourism growth.

The next decade of the Belt and Road Initiative may bring an even bigger and more integrated high-speed railway network, connecting China and Southeast Asia, all the way to Singapore.

As China now moves determinedly to protect nature and help develop Southeast Asia, beautiful Yunnan will be center stage. The wonderful restoration of the Dianchi Lake shows us the road ahead.

The author is vice-president of the Green Belt and Road Coalition and former executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme. The author contributed this article to China Watch, a think tank powered by China Daily.

The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

Contact the editor at editor@chinawatch.cn.