BEIJING: A picture-perfect scenery has become an increasingly common sight at Erhai Lake in the city of Dali, Yunnan Province, thanks to efforts to improve its environment over the past few years. As the sunset glow reflects on the rippling water surface each afternoon, visitors and photographers follow the paths winding along the lakeside, accompanied by the chattering of black-headed gulls, looking for the best spot to capture the lake’s spectacular views.
Dubbed the “mother lake” by local residents, the ear-shaped body of water sits about 2,000 meters above sea level and covers an area of more than 250 square km. It reportedly attracted millions of tourists every year before the onset of COVID-19 pandemic.
At the recent Erhai Forum on Global Ecological Civilization Construction, participating ecologists said Dali’s experiences in restoring Erhai’s ecology can be applied to the protection of lakes in other developing countries and is an example of China’s contributions to global ecological progress.
Taking place in Dali on October 9, the Erhai Forum is a supporting event of the 15th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, also known as COP15, in Kunming, capital of Yunnan. It aimed to provide Chinese solutions and share the nation’s know-how to boost global efforts in ecological conservation.
Themed on Building an Ecological Civilization Together for a Beautiful Planet, the event attracted over 300 participants from China and abroad. Ecological civilization is China’s concept for instituting a form of global environmental governance that promotes harmony between human development and environmental protection, and responding to climate change.
In keeping with the vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity, China will join hands with the international community to contribute to global environmental protection, Wan Gang, Vice Chairman of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and President of China Association for Science and Technology, said at the opening ceremony via video link.
“Historic successes in eco-friendly development have demonstrated China’s experience in concurrently improving people’s wellbeing and environmental protection,” Du Zhanyuan, President of China International Publishing Group, said.
“Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the international community should pool its wisdom and foster both exchange and cooperation to forge synergy in sustainable development and eventually create a better world for all,” he added.
– The Daily Mail-Beijing Review News exchange item
