The multi-department joint issuance of the "15th Five-Year Plan for Ecological Protection"

The "15th Five-Year Plan for Ecological Protection," jointly issued by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, the Ministry of Natural Resources, and other departments, proposes that by 2030, the ecological spatial pattern will be continuously optimized, ecological quality will steadily improve, the trend of biodiversity loss will be effectively alleviated, the supply of high-quality ecological products will be more abundant, and the diversity, stability, and sustainability of ecosystems will continue to enhance. The regulatory system for ecological protection and restoration will be further improved, and national ecological security will be effectively guaranteed. This was reported by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment on the 11th. The plan also outlines several specific goals for the "15th Five-Year" period, including that the land area of protected natural areas will account for no less than 18% of the total land area, the ecological quality index will be raised to 86.5, the soil and water conservation rate will reach over 74%, and the forest coverage rate will achieve 25.8%. The plan proposes continuously optimizing the ecological spatial pattern, clarifying key areas for ecological protection and restoration supervision, which will basically cover ecological red lines, natural protected areas, important ecological function zones, national key ecological function zones, priority areas for biodiversity conservation, and the "Three Norths" project areas. In terms of promoting the protection and restoration of ecosystems in a coordinated manner, the plan outlines three tasks: implementing the rest and recovery of natural ecosystems, advancing ecosystem restoration, and enhancing the livability quality of urban and rural environments. The plan stipulates protections for grasslands, forests, rivers, lakes, wetlands, and suggests strengthening the protection of native deserts, promoting the protection of glacial, snow, and permafrost systems, and enhancing the protection of typical marine ecosystems, while strictly controlling land reclamation activities. At the same time, the plan requires the improvement of urban green space systems, promotes the open sharing of parks and green spaces, strengthens the ecological and water environment restoration of urban wetlands, enhances the management of water environments in rural small water bodies, preserves the original landscapes of rural mountain fields, rivers, and lakes, and implements rural greening and beautification projects, prioritizing the use of native tree species.