context: The 'red line' scheme was introduced in 2011 as a measure to curb decades of development that caused significant damage to forests, wetlands and other essential ecosystems. The scheme aims to protect these precious natural resources by setting clear boundaries beyond which no further development would be allowed.
On Earth Day, MNR (Ministry of Natural Resources) announced that the demarcation of China's ecological 'red lines' had been completed, reports CCTV. These lines have been drawn across a total of 3.15 million square km of territorial area, including 3 million of land area and 0.15 million of marine area. This covers approximately 30 percent of China's land territory, according to the report.
The red lines have mainly been delineated in the ecological zones of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the important ecological zones of the Yellow River and the Yangtze River, the Northeast Forest Belt, the northern sand-prevention belt, hilly areas of southern China, and coastal zones.
MNR will now conduct regular evaluations of the effectiveness of the protection measures. To this end, the ministry will implement a monitoring information system, which will enhance dynamic monitoring and early warning capabilities.