Chongming's Green Development Takes the Global Stage

"China Cities Day," an official event at the 17th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, took place in Yerevan, Armenia, on October 23.

Representatives shared Chongming's world-class eco-island construction with global participants, demonstrating the coordinated promotion of ecological protection and high-quality development in the Yangtze River Estuary.

Yu Hai, Deputy Director of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment's Research Center for Environmental and Economic Policy, delivered a speech on "China's Practice and Solutions for Building a World-Class Ecological Island."

Chongming encompasses roughly one-quarter of the city's forests and one-third of its essential farmland while representing one-fifth of Shanghai's total land area. This area contributes approximately 40 percent of the city's ecological resources.

After more than a decade of continuous development, its wetland protection rate has reached 60.73 percent, its quality index has stayed at an excellent level for over 90 percent of the year, and its biodiversity has also improved significantly.

Over 300 species and 1 million migratory birds visit annually, creating a world-class ecological brand of "clear water, lush forests, and abundant birds," and earning World Natural Heritage Site and International Wetland City status.

These achievements have not only delivered tangible ecological benefits to residents but also established a replicable model for sustainable development in megacities around the globe.

Representatives from various countries noted that Chongming's experience in developing a world-class ecological island within a high-density megacity offers innovative ideas and strategies for cities at various stages of development to enhance biodiversity conservation.