Land-sea coordination key to ensuring prosperity

Global experts emphasized the vital role of land-sea coordination in tackling climate change, conserving biodiversity and ensuring future prosperity at a forum in Beijing on Thursday, calling for practical action, local engagement and international cooperation.

"The ocean and land form a complete Earth system that, along with the atmosphere, maintains global ecological and climatic balance," said Dai Minhan, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and chair professor of marine environmental science at Xiamen University.

Dai said a healthy ocean is fundamental to a healthy planet, serving as a shield for ecological security, a major reservoir of biodiversity and a strategic space for high-quality development.

He described the ocean as "the artery of the economy and an engine of growth", noting that about 60 percent of global economic activity is concentrated in port areas and their hinterlands, while 90 percent of world trade is transported by sea. Emerging blue industries such as offshore wind power, deep-sea aquaculture and the marine biological circular economy are becoming new engines of growth, he said.

"However, due to its high fluidity, strong connectivity and significant vertical differences, the ocean faces greater challenges in governance compared with land," Dai said, citing insufficient marine protected areas and inefficient management as key problems.

He added that the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction, which will take effect on Jan 17, 2026, provides a framework for protection and procedural mechanisms. But he said there remains an urgent need for signatories to develop pathways for concrete implementation.

Dai made the remarks at an open forum of the two-day 2025 Annual General Meeting of the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development. The meeting's theme was "Land-Sea Coordination: Toward a Future of Harmonious Coexistence Between Humans and Nature".

Pete Harrison, executive vice-president of the Environmental Defense Fund, echoed Dai's views, emphasizing the need for integrated land-sea approaches to promote the coexistence of humanity and nature.

Harrison said China's concept of managing mountains, rivers, forests, farmland, lakes, grasslands and deserts as one integrated ecosystem offers "a powerful guiding principle for the challenges humanity faces". He called on all nations to seek synergistic solutions for conservation and high-quality development.

Kirsten Schuijt, director-general at World Wide Fund for Nature International, said the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework sets ambitious goals to halt biodiversity loss on land and sea by 2030.

"The framework is much more than an environmental policy document. It represents a shared global commitment to safeguard biodiversity, which underpins healthy ecosystems and a sustainable future for all," Schuijt said.

She underscored the importance of ensuring that indigenous peoples and local communities play central roles in the design and governance of protected areas.

"When conservation is ecologically representative, inclusive and well-resourced, it becomes the foundation for a future where both people and nature thrive," she said.

Schuijt also praised China's development philosophy that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets," saying it has contributed significantly to the global search for sustainable development paths, especially among developing countries.

Minister of Ecology and Environment Huang Runqiu called for joint participation in global marine governance and collective efforts to tackle environmental crises.

"China will uphold the vision of a maritime community with a shared future, deepen international exchanges and cooperation in the marine sector, and actively share its experiences in integrated land-sea governance," Huang said.

limenghan@chinadaily.com.cn