China

The aim of this page is to recognise, celebrate and encourage the self-empowerment of community agency networks (CANs) and community groups' activism for climate, environment and many other sustainability topics across China.

• Community resources China is a separate page.

News

International events

Global or International events

2021-2030, UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, International community action events

China video

Networks and sustainability initiatives

• Friends of Nature FON, Friends of Nature FON (En)
• Friends of the Earth (HK) (Hong Kong), wikipedia:Friends of the Earth (HK)
• Global Environmental Institute (GEI)
• China Green Drinks, listings for 7 cities

Community and voluntary action

• Wikipedia:List of charities in China - List of NGOs in China

Climate action

• The Carbon Brief Profile: China, 2023, added 11:15, 1 December 2023 (UTC)
• Wikipedia:Climate change in China, China Carbon Forum

Biodiversity

• Wikipedia:China#Biodiversity - Wildlife of China

Environment quality

From Desertification

Desertification is causing a crisis in China and neighboring countries. Desert storms from Central Asia are causing destruction across large parts of northern Asia. Every spring, dust from China's northern deserts is blown eastward, into Beijing and other cities, even as far as Korea. A blanket of particles coats buildings, cars, and people, and hospitals are inundated with patients suffering respiratory problems. The dust threatens to shut down the city, getting into machinery, closing airports, and damaging crops. It can carry pollution and even potentially infectious disease.

Overgrazing, deforestation, and drought combine to turn vulnerable arid lands to desert, with a loose topsoil easily transported by wind. The dunes are now around 250 km from Beijing.

The Green Great Wall of China is an attempt to reverse the desertification.

• Wikipedia:China Pollution Map Database, Electronic waste in China, Water resources of the People's Republic of China, Water supply and sanitation in the People's Republic of China

Open spaces

Wikipedia:Protected areas of China

Wetlands

Wetland restoration in China

This section has been AI generated: AI Overview from a Google search, 19:43, 15 October 2025 (UTC). Question/prompt: summarise wetland restoration achievements in China, mentioning relevant statistics and any community involvement

China has achieved significant progress in wetland restoration over the last few decades, particularly since joining the Ramsar Convention in 1992. Notable efforts include large-scale restoration projects, the expansion of protected areas, and growing community involvement.

Key achievements and statistics

Expansion of protected areas

• National network: China has developed a comprehensive wetland protection system, establishing more than 600 wetland nature reserves and over 900 national wetland parks.
• International significance: The number of internationally recognized "Ramsar Sites" in China has increased from six to 82, ranking fourth globally in total area.
• High protection rate: As of 2023, the percentage of wetlands under protection exceeded 52% of the total wetland area.

Wetland area increase

• Overall growth: After decades of decline, the total wetland area reported a recovery trend between 2015 and 2020, with a net increase of over 900 square kilometers.
• Mangrove comeback: Due to strict protection and large-scale afforestation, China is one of the few countries to have a net increase in mangrove area. By 2019, mangrove forests had grown to 30,000 hectares, reversing a sharp decline from the 1950s.
• Restoration targets met: China met its 13th Five-Year Plan target for wetland restoration by adding or restoring over 1.2 million hectares of wetlands.

Biodiversity and ecological improvements

• Habitat creation: Projects like the Eighteen Polder Wetland Restoration Project have significantly improved habitats. This particular project in Hefei restored 410 hectares, increasing the local bird species from 63 to 117.
• Ecosystem services: Restored coastal wetlands have been shown to improve soil organic carbon storage, contributing to climate change mitigation.
• Migratory bird protection: China's reserves, like the Futian Mangrove National Nature Reserve in Shenzhen and the Chianghu Lake Wetland in Wuhan, protect crucial stopover sites for migratory birds on the East Asian-Australasian Flyway.

Policy and funding

• Legal framework: China's first dedicated wetland protection law came into effect in 2022, marking a new stage of conservation.
• Substantial investment: Between 2003 and 2022, the central government invested billions of yuan in over 4,100 wetland protection projects nationwide.

Community involvement and public engagement

• Public-private partnerships: In Shenzhen, the Futian Mangrove Ecological Park is managed through a public-private partnership with the Mangrove Conservation Foundation (MCF). The NGO bridges government efforts with public interests, promoting community outreach and accountability.
• Community-led conservation: Projects are increasingly exploring participatory approaches, involving local communities in the design, implementation, and evaluation of restoration programs.
• Eco-tourism and livelihoods: In the Yani National Wetland Park in Xizang, local community members are involved in reforestation efforts, which provides them with income and increases their awareness of environmental protection.
• Volunteer actions: Civil society organizations and volunteers participate in conservation activities. For instance, the Society of Entrepreneurs and Ecology Foundation organizes volunteers to clean up litter in the Chongming Dongtan National Nature Reserve.
• Increased public awareness: Growing interest in activities like birdwatching is influencing public attitudes toward conservation. In turn, this shifts government policy to prioritize habitat preservation.
• High satisfaction with projects: In the Poyang Lake wetland area, surveys found that 87.5% of local residents were satisfied with the restoration efforts, citing improved environmental quality and quality of life.

Cycling activism

Citizens data initiative: China has the greatest number of bike share systems for a single country (237 in total) (September 2015)...Sustainable Cities Collective

Social inclusion

Wikipedia:Poverty in China

Sustainable transport activism

• Wikipedia:Rapid transit in the People's Republic of China, Waterways in China

Urban sustainability

• Wikipedia:Urbanization in China, Sustainable city article lists five examples in China

About China

China is the most populous nation on Earth. It covers a massive land area There is both great poverty and great wealth there. It is a nominally communist nation - largely free market in practice, but access to information is restricted and government regulation is extensive in many areas, notably the one child policy for reducing population growth.

China is investing large amounts in sustainable technologies such as solar energy, as well as low-carbon technologies such as carbon capture and storage. However, it continues to build large numbers of coal-fired power plants.

External links

• Wikipedia:China, Environmental issues in China, Transport in China,

Hong Kong: Conservation in Hong Kong, Ecology of Hong Kong, Nature centres in Hong Kong, Transport in Hong Kong, Water supply and sanitation in Hong Kong

via List of Ashden Award winners, winners in China from 2006 - 2008

wikipedia:List of Ashden Award winners, winner from USA/China in 2009