By Wu Ping, DRC

2016-12-7

As an ecosystem covering the largest terrestrial area, grassland is known as “skin of earth", and it plays an irreplaceable role in wind prevention, sand fixation, water and soil conservation, air purification and the protection of biodiversity.

First, the ecological governance has made herdsmen become richer and grassland turn greener. In recent years, the Chinese government has made efforts to promote grassland ecological civilization construction, which has brought about remarkable progress in grassland ecosystem protection and conservation and significant improvement in local ecological environment. 1. The grassland ecological protection awareness has been enhanced. 2. The implementation of relevant policies and moratorium projects have made cropland and grassland lie fallow with grassland ecosystem presenting a sound performance. The scenery that “the grass extends vast and cattle and sheep appear out of grass at a blast” in some pastoral areas has reappeared. 3. The development of grassland ecological protection and modern animal husbandry as well as the increase of herdsmen’s income have achieved win-win results.

Second, it is necessary to make unremitting efforts to improve grassland ecological governance and address the following issues. 1. The aggregate grassland resources are not clear. 2. The grassland supervision and technical service capabilities are inadequate. 3. The grassland ecosystem as a whole is still relatively fragile. 4. The foundation of animal husbandry development is weak.

Third, the following policy options are made to promote the construction of grassland ecological civilization. We need to adhere to the principle of giving first priority to protection and focusing on prevention and system control while taking into consideration the protection of grassland ecological security and the realization of livestock balance and income increase of farmers and herdsmen, in order to promote the modernization of grassland ecological governance system and governance capacity. 1. We need to take institutional innovation to lead grassland ecological governance. 2. We need to take various measures to protect and recover the grassland ecological environment, and realize the balance of grassland habitat. 3. We need to vigorously develop modern grassland animal husbandry.

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