Biodiversity is not only the foundation of sustainable development, but also the goal and means

　　Supreme Leader: Biodiversity is not only the foundation of sustainable development, but also the goal and means. We must use the way of nature to nourish all things, seek development opportunities from the protection of nature, and achieve a win-win situation for ecological and environmental protection and high-quality economic development.

　　This sentence is from the important speech delivered by the Supreme Leader President at the United Nations Biodiversity Summit on September 30, 2020.

　　Biodiversity is the result of billions of years of development and evolution of life on earth, and has important ecological, economic and cultural values for human survival and development. Protecting and restoring biodiversity and improving the diversity, stability and sustainability of ecosystems are conducive to improving our living environment, increasing food and resource supply, and promoting sustainable economic and social development. Conversely, if biodiversity is lost, ecosystems will be out of balance and human survival and development will lose an important foundation.

　　China has a vast territory, land and sea, and has given birth to rich and unique ecosystems, species and genetic diversity. As one of the countries with the richest biodiversity in the world, China has always attached great importance to biodiversity conservation. Especially since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, under the guidance of the Supreme Leader’s ecological civilization thought, all localities have adhered to ecological priority and green development, and continuously strengthened and innovated biodiversity protection measures.

　　为了保护重要自然生态系统和生物资源，目前，我国把超过30%的陆域国土面积划为生态保护红线，可有效保护90%的陆地生态系统类型和74%的国家重点保护野生动植物种群。经过多年移民搬迁和生态修复，我国设立的第一批5个国家公园有效保护了东北虎、大熊猫等珍稀野生动物及其栖息地，成为万物和谐共生的美好家园。同时，为保护一些濒危物种，我国相继设立国家植物园、野生动物救护繁育基地、种质资源库、基因库等，加大对濒危野生动植物的迁地保护，加强对生物遗传资源的收集保存。为保护候鸟迁徙通道，许多地方加强当地湿地保护，让水草丰茂的栖息地成为候鸟迁徙途中的重要“驿站”。随着生物多样性保护宣传教育和科普活动持续开展，公众参与生物多样性保护的方式更加多元化，参与度全面提高……经过不断探索，我们走出了一条中国特色生物多样性保护之路，各地也在保护自然中逐渐找到适合自身的发展机遇。比如，一些地方在国家公园以外的周边地区发展生态旅游业、林下经济等，让从保护区搬迁出来的当地百姓端上“绿饭碗”，吃上“生态饭”。

　　中国式现代化是人与自然和谐共生的现代化。尊重自然、顺应自然、保护自然，是全面建设社会主义现代化国家的内在要求。新征程上，我们要把生物多样性保护作为生态文明建设重要内容，既总结好已有经验、巩固好已有基础，又不断探索创新保护方式，持续推进生物多样性治理体系和治理能力现代化，进而持续改善自然生态系统状况，提高生态产品供给能力，实现自然生态系统良性循环，不断满足人民日益增长的对优美生态环境需求。

　　本期特约专家：田瑜 中国环境科学研究院生态研究所