IUCN Deputy DG praises China's groundbreaking ecological restoration: clearing 20,000 ha of coastal grasses for endangered migratory birds

As the 31st Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP31) is underway in Antalya, Türkiye, a side event themed Ecological Civilization and Beautiful China Practice was held at the China Pavilion on Tuesday.

The side event was jointly hosted by the Research Center for Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization and China News Service, with the Policy Research Center for Environment and Economy of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment and China News Network serving as co-organizers.

Stewart Maginnis, deputy director general of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), said China’s pioneering efforts extend beyond the conservation of forests, rivers and wetlands, and beyond tree planting. The country works to remove pressures that hinder the proper functioning of ecosystems — a well-documented undertaking.

Yancheng in Jiangsu Province serves as a prime example, he noted. There, China has restored 20,000 hectares of carbon-rich estuarine tidal flats by removing the invasive smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora). The restoration has boosted coastal resilience for local communities and created a new habitat for endangered migratory birds.