Chinese photographer Luo Hong has a special love for Africa, describing the continent as "a paradise in my heart," featuring perfect harmony between mankind, animal and nature.
"I fell in love with Africa at first sight, and I became fascinated with the continent after I saw flamingoes in Lake Naruku," said Luo at the launch of the Flamingo Conservation Program Wednesday by Lake Nakuru of Kenya.
Flamingoes are the subject of many pictures of the photographer, who is famed for advocating environmental protection through displaying photos featuring landscape and wild animal and making donation to environmental protection campaigns.
A collection of his photos were exhibited at the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP)'s headquarters in Nairobi last year as part of World Environment Day celebrations, marking the start of his cooperation with the UNEP.
His photos are also displayed all the year round in subway stations in China's capital of Beijing.
Luo said, in the course of watching the nature through lens, he gradually became a firm environmentalist.
"Luo Hong, a well-known photographer-turned environmentalist, has been devoting on photography with heart and soul to seek for the essence of nature in the hope to arise people's awareness of protecting the nature through his works of arts," said Chinese ambassador to Kenya Zhang Ming.
Sekou Toure, director of UNEP's Regional Office for Africa, said on behalf of UNEP chief Achim Steiner that what Luo has done may be small because it is only one aspect of the type of UNEP's relationship with the Chinese government, but "it is deeper than government-to-government relationship."
"It indicates we are having individuals coming in, trying to provide their own contributions to our process, which is a unique prospect of our future relationship with China," Toure said.
The trip to Kenya this time is Luo's 15th time to visit Africa since he first stepped on this continent in 2001.
Standing at a place overlooking the scenic Lake Nakuru, Luo said he was moved at the magnificent view of so many flamingoes flocking in the lake like burning flame when he first came here in 2002.
"They are my good friends. It is they who make me completely fall fascinated with African animal photography. I come to see them every year," Luo told the dozens of people, including many flamingo researchers and officials of governments and wildlife authorities, who witnessed the launch of the UNEP-supported program.
He said he "wept in the heart" after he learned the news of the mass die-off of flamingoes.
INDICATOR SPECIES
In Kenya, the number of flamingoes counted in the lakes in the recent years is lower than what was counted in the 1960s at a maximum of 2 million compared to 3 million, according to a report compiled by UNEP researcher Anderson Koyo.
In the Africa region as a whole, the number of the birds dropped from 5 million in 1974 to 4 million in 1994 and between 1. 5 and 2.5 million in 2006, it said.
This phenomenon has caused environmental concern as flamingoes are regarded as flagship and indicator species for the lakes' ecosystem health and ecological integrity.
The status and trends of the flamingo populations and densities are a reflection of the hydrology and land use systems within the catchments, said the report.
It said "mitigating the challenges affecting the conservation of flamingoes would have added value effect on the conservation of all other species both within the lakes and the wider catchments."
Last November, Luo donated 250,000 U.S. dollars to establish an environmental fund at UNEP, with half of the amount earmarking for flamingo conservation. He also pledged to increase the fund amount to 1.25 million dollars within the next five years.
A two-day workshop opened Wednesday as an initial part of the program. Participants will brainstorm on subjects including the causes of flamingoes' death and the impact of pollution on the lakes.
There have been assumptions that climate change, pollution of the lakes and human activities might be the factors affecting the population of the birds, but no scientific results have been achieved to identify the real causes.
"Africa is animal's paradise, while Lake Nakuru is flamingoes' paradise. I hope more and more people join us to care about animals and protect them. I hope our children's children can also see the beautiful birds," Luo said.
Source: Xinhua
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