A UNDP-GEF Flyway Project Launched in China
A UNDP-GEF Flyway Project Launched in China
Tuesday, May 11, 2021
On May 11th, the largest standalone GEF-7 biodiversity project in China, “Strengthening the Protected Area Network for Migratory Bird Conservation Along the East Asian - Australasian Flyway (EAAF) in China Project”, was officially launched in Dongying city of Shandong Province, with a total GEF Trust Fund around 10 million USD plus 87 million USD counterpart fund from China.
On behalf of the national implementation partner of the project, Dr. Wu Zhimin, Director General of Department of Wetland Management of National Forestry and Grassland Administration (NFGA), acknowledged its value in supporting China to implement the Ramsar Convention and other international treaties, as it fully aligns with key conservation agenda in China. Dr. Ma Chaode, Programme Director of UNDP China, the GEF Executing Agency of the project, illuminated the ecological importance of East Asian - Australasian Flyway (EAAF) and addressed the critical role that China and new GEF-7 flyway project can play.
The project is consisting of three components, including (a) policy advocacy and mainstreaming, (b) on-site demonstration and scale up and (c)knowledge management, monitoring and evaluation (M&E). Component one will render supports for the legislation of wetland protection, a new milestone of wetland protection in China, as well as the world. It also aims to identify conservation gaps, in order to further boost the wetland conservation in China, where more than half of wetlands had been under effective protection of protected areas by the end of the 13th Five-Year-Plan concluded last year. In component two, newly developed strategies and guidelines of wetland management will be demonstrated in 4 nature reserves (Ramsar Sites), among which three are located in the estuaries of the 7 major rivers in China, i.e. Chongming Dongtan Natural Reserve (NR) in Yangtze, Yellow River Delta NR and Liao River Estuary NR, all key wetlands in the East Asian - Australasian Flyway. The 4th NR, Yunnan Dashanbao located on the crosscutting area of EAAF and the Central Asian Flyway (CAF), hosts one of the most important wintering sites for black-necked crane, the sole flagship species in CAF. Component three focuses on knowledge management, communication and M&E, one of the priorities is to explore and apply innovative bird survey technologies and methodologies, to achieve the harmonization of waterbird data collection and management along EAAF in China.
The involvement of NGOs for project preparation and implementation is another highlight. In the project preparation grant (PPG) phase of this project, 5 NGOs have been invited and consulted to contribute ideas to this project relating to their own interests and expertise. Having accumulated much experience in trainings for wetland professionals, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) wishes to develop a full-kit of training materials, eventually enabling this project to establish a high-level wetland training center. The experience and data of Wetland International (WI) in the Yellow Sea Ecoregion and International Crane Foundation (ICF)’s expertise on these symbolic species will be no doubt invaluable assets for this project. Society of Entrepreneurs & Ecology (SEE) Foundation, the a local environment foundation, will use its network and fund to mobilize and engage the grassroot NGOs, public and local communities for wetland and waterbird protection. The East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership (EAAFP) is another important partner and platform to advocate the project achievements, exchange experiences, models and lessons learnt with other countries along the EAAF.
We are confident that this project will boost the wetland conservation in China, especially along the EAAF, and wish the achievements could benefit human and the adorable waterbirds and their habitat not only in China, but also along the whole flyway.
ZHANG Yimo, China CEPA Focal point, Ramsar Convention
On behalf of the national implementation partner of the project, Dr. Wu Zhimin, Director General of Department of Wetland Management of National Forestry and Grassland Administration (NFGA), acknowledged its value in supporting China to implement the Ramsar Convention and other international treaties, as it fully aligns with key conservation agenda in China. Dr. Ma Chaode, Programme Director of UNDP China, the GEF Executing Agency of the project, illuminated the ecological importance of East Asian - Australasian Flyway (EAAF) and addressed the critical role that China and new GEF-7 flyway project can play.
The project is consisting of three components, including (a) policy advocacy and mainstreaming, (b) on-site demonstration and scale up and (c)knowledge management, monitoring and evaluation (M&E). Component one will render supports for the legislation of wetland protection, a new milestone of wetland protection in China, as well as the world. It also aims to identify conservation gaps, in order to further boost the wetland conservation in China, where more than half of wetlands had been under effective protection of protected areas by the end of the 13th Five-Year-Plan concluded last year. In component two, newly developed strategies and guidelines of wetland management will be demonstrated in 4 nature reserves (Ramsar Sites), among which three are located in the estuaries of the 7 major rivers in China, i.e. Chongming Dongtan Natural Reserve (NR) in Yangtze, Yellow River Delta NR and Liao River Estuary NR, all key wetlands in the East Asian - Australasian Flyway. The 4th NR, Yunnan Dashanbao located on the crosscutting area of EAAF and the Central Asian Flyway (CAF), hosts one of the most important wintering sites for black-necked crane, the sole flagship species in CAF. Component three focuses on knowledge management, communication and M&E, one of the priorities is to explore and apply innovative bird survey technologies and methodologies, to achieve the harmonization of waterbird data collection and management along EAAF in China.
The involvement of NGOs for project preparation and implementation is another highlight. In the project preparation grant (PPG) phase of this project, 5 NGOs have been invited and consulted to contribute ideas to this project relating to their own interests and expertise. Having accumulated much experience in trainings for wetland professionals, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) wishes to develop a full-kit of training materials, eventually enabling this project to establish a high-level wetland training center. The experience and data of Wetland International (WI) in the Yellow Sea Ecoregion and International Crane Foundation (ICF)’s expertise on these symbolic species will be no doubt invaluable assets for this project. Society of Entrepreneurs & Ecology (SEE) Foundation, the a local environment foundation, will use its network and fund to mobilize and engage the grassroot NGOs, public and local communities for wetland and waterbird protection. The East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership (EAAFP) is another important partner and platform to advocate the project achievements, exchange experiences, models and lessons learnt with other countries along the EAAF.
We are confident that this project will boost the wetland conservation in China, especially along the EAAF, and wish the achievements could benefit human and the adorable waterbirds and their habitat not only in China, but also along the whole flyway.
ZHANG Yimo, China CEPA Focal point, Ramsar Convention
Country : China
Organizer : The Ramsar Administrative Authority of P.R. China, UNDP
Year: 2021 Photos