CHONGQING (CQNEWS) -- On October 27, during the Sixteenth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (COP16) and the 8th Summit for Subnational Governments & Cities in Cali, Colombia, Liangping District was announced as a participant in the “Nature Cities” platform.

The “Nature Cities” platform is an online interactive platform established under a cooperative initiative framework promoted by organizations, including the Eco-city Local Sustainable Development Association, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, The Nature Conservancy, the World Wildlife Fund, and the United Nations Environment Program. It serves as the world’s largest platform for sharing knowledge and case studies on urban and local biodiversity conservation, providing rich guides, tools, and case studies.

During the COP15 in 2022, six Chinese cities, including Kunming, Chengdu, Huzhou, Nanyang, Jiaxing, and Shenzhen, were the first to join this platform. Liangping is the first city in Chongqing to be selected for the “Nature Cities” platform.

“Liangping is the only international wetland city without large rivers, lakes, or seas”, said a representative from Liangping District. In recent years, Liangping has prioritized ecological conservation and green development, focusing on the ecological restoration of Shuanggui Lake Wetland. It aims to create a continuous urban wetland system and small-scale wetland communities, while comprehensively strengthening biodiversity protection. By using small-scale wetland as a starting point, Liangping has explored a distinct path for wetland conservation and management that utilizes the characteristics such as local waterways, lakes, and small wetland features, presenting an ecological picture of “holistic water management and wetlands enriching the city”.

As of now, Liangping has a wetland area of 49 square kilometers, with a forest coverage rate of 47.3%. It has recorded 623 species of vascular plants and 284 species of vertebrates, including 57 nationally protected wild plants and animals, showcasing rich biodiversity. (Translated by Vichy, Fathom Language Limited)