China marks 25% of its territory for environmental protection Reuters 18 hrs ago © Reuters/STRINGER Visitor and cattle are seen on the grass-covered riverbed of the Fuling section of Yangtze river which has been affected by drought, in Chongqing
BEIJING (Reuters) - China has designated 25% of its onshore territory ecological conservation areas, limiting development and human activities in order to improve the environment and conserve resources.
The Ministry of Ecology and Environment was tasked with identifying areas in need of protection a decade ago, when the government acknowledged that decades of irrational development had put its ecological safety under severe strain.
Cui Shuhong, a director from the ministry s Nature and Ecology Conservation Department, told a news conference on Wednesday that red lines had been drawn around zones that served a major ecological function, and areas that were sensitive and vulnerable along with important regions for biodiversi
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