A high-level ministerial panel discussion event -- called Nature-based Solutions (NbS) for Recovery –hosted by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, or IUCN, took place on March 3, with the aim of promoting NbS globally. The goal is to encourage countries around the world to make NbS a central component for national post-COVID19 recovery plans and policy frameworks, accelerating the transformation of the current international development pattern, as well as addressing the global climate crisis and biodiversity loss crisis.

Wang Hong, China's vice-minister of the Ministry of Natural Resources and director of the State Oceanic Administration attended the event. He told delegates that China had adhered to the development of an ecological civilization, prioritized eco-civilization construction, incorporated the concept of ecological civilization into its social and economic development -- and had promoted harmonious coexistence between man and nature.

Wang told the event that China -- as a key participator, contributor and leader of global eco-civilization construction – would continue to work on ecological governance and improve the balance between humanity and nature.

According to Wang, the Ministry of Natural Resources has witnessed great progress since its foundation, including the formation of a natural resource management system, policy reforms on natural resources and the creation of a top design and overall framework for a national spatial planning system.

Other progress has included the establishment of management systems for ecological protection red lines, permanent farmland and urban boundaries, the set-up of a nature reserves system with national parks as a major component, ecological restoration and a broad increase of green consumer products.

Furthermore, the ministry has reportedly undertaken measures to protect natural ecological spaces, to enhance the quality and sustainability of the ecological system and lead the trend towards green production and lifestyles.

The measures are understood to be part of the ministry's efforts to contribute to global ecological protection and are also part of China's commitment to strive for peak carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060.

In the future, the ministry plans to deepen its cooperation with IUCN to build an Asian NbS center, promote the global NbS standard and share China's experiences with other countries.

The IUCN's director general and officials from the environmental protection authorities in Portugal, Egypt and South Africa also joined the panel.

They stressed the urgency and significance of biodiversity conservation and climate-change adaptation and mitigation. They tabled a proposal to promote environmental protection and add investment into the policy equation when it comes to natural protection, to drive the green development of the world's economy and society. They also shared the experiences and measures of their own countries in the areas of environmental and ecological protection.