China Launches Ecosystem Assessment Research ProgramAs part of the global "Millennium Ecosystem Assessment" initiated by the United Nations, China launched its own research program for national ecosystem assessment Friday.The government has earmarked 12 million yuan for integrated ecosystem assessment for its western region, Xinhua learned from the inauguration ceremony held in Beijing. "China's fragile ecosystem coupled with the increasing pressure of population growth and rapid economic development in the past two decades has further degraded soil erosion, desertification and diminished the function of forests," said Xu Guanhua, minister of science and technology. China's program is "not just a positive response" to United Nations initiation, "but also out of necessity for the country to improve its ecosystem," Xu said. On June 5 this year marking the World Environment Day, UN secretary-general Kofi Annan opened the "Millennium Ecosystem Assessment" in New York, which will last for 4 years, cost 21 million US dollars and involve 1,500 scientists from around the globe, to examine the ecosystems that support life on this planet. China's program will conduct assessments of national and regional ecosystems, including four interrelated topics consisting of a review of past changes, the assessment of present conditions, prediction of further changes and proposals for response options for better ecosystem management. China will adopt a "step-by-step" approach in its ecosystem assessment program, with the first step touching upon its western region, which is now carrying out a great western development program. Considering the most fragile ecosystem in China's western region, both the central and local governments will take ecosystem improvement as the most important issue in the country's "Develop the West" scheme, said Minister Xu. The Ministry of Science and Technology has listed this sub- global ecosystem assessment project in international cooperation programs. |
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