Pudacuo is located in the northwestern corner of Yunnan, a region with limited economic development and considered a "biodiversity hotspot" with over 7,000 species of endemic plants and 400 species of birds. Yunnan is also home to many highly endangered animal species including the red panda, Yunnan golden monkey, and black necked cranes.
Its steep sub-Himalayan geography creates unique and confined habitat zones, while the high mountains within only a 100-km area are cut by four of Asia's great rivers: the Jinsha (Yangtze), Lancang (Mekong), Nu (Salween), and Dulong (Irrawaddy). With such stunning diversity and global importance, the region hardly needs to further boast of its status as a UNESCO World Heritage Area.
Many visitors are surprised that Pudacuo is the first national park in China. There is confusion about the term, which is often misused for many protected or scenic areas in China. Even at the Shangri-la airport, not far from Pudacuo National Park, a billboard promotes the "Balagezong Grand Canyon National Park", which is actually a scenic area opened by a private businessman.
In fact, national parks are a model of conservation meant to compliment China's existing nature reserve system, especially in situations such as this in northwest Yunnan.
The rapidly expanding nature reserve system in China already covers around 15 percent of the nation's territory, higher than the world average which varies from source to source. However, many reserves cover areas of low priority protection while others are plagued with under funding and poor management.
Unlike national parks, in the United States for example, nature reserves in China are on land that has been inhabited long before the reserve was established.
"The nature reserve system in China often focuses on strict protection of ecosystems or resources, leaving very limited options for residents who live inside reserve boundaries to engage in income generating activities," says local forestry official and TNC national park advisor He Qiang.
For this reason, establishing more of this nature reserve model in northwestern Yunnan has met resistance from both local governments and residents alike. "This is a huge area of great ecological importance, but it is also inhabited by many people," continues He, "we cannot close it all off as a nature reserve."
The national park model, however, allows for more land to be protected and human activity to be carefully planned rather than completely restricted.
The internationally accepted World Conservation Union (IUCN) categorization of a national park is "a protected area managed mainly for ecosystem protection and recreation which provides a foundation for spiritual, scientific, educational, recreational, and visitor opportunities, all of which must be environmentally and culturally compatible".
Jerry Chen, project manager of TNC's Yunnan program, says that Pudacuo National Park will meet these IUCN national park standards.
Source: China Daily
|
Comment
Tell A Friend
Print Format
Save Article