Securing Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable use in the Huangshan Municipality of China - GCP/CPR/049/GFF

Abstract

Huangshan Municipality lies in the Anhui Province of eastern China. It is a forested, mountainous area that is home to over 1 800 species of plants and456 species of vertebrates, comprising seven percent of all known plant and animal species in the country. For many reasons, including illegal logging, hunting and fishing, the impacts of climate change, and an increase in domestic and international tourism to the area, the biodiversity in Huangshan Municipality is threatened. In fact, many of the plant and animal species in the area are endangered. Despite a strong commitment by the government and the public to conserve Huangshan’s biodiversity and ensure its sustainable use, the management of existing PAs needs improvement. To achieve this goal, the project evaluated, adapted and implemented best practices derived from the successfully managed Huangshan National Scenic Reserve (HNSR) to strengthen the management capacities of staff in the network of PAs established prior to the project. A tiered, community-based approach was implemented to ensure sustainability and the effective management of the large number of existing PAs.