BBC EARTH LATEST ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS CHINA'S BIODIVERSITY SEVERELY DECLINES BY NABIHAH YATIM China is home to one of the Earth’s most biodiverse ecosystems, boasting about 8000 different species of animals. Nearly 10% of all plant species and 14% of animals on Earth are found in China. Many of these species are ‘endemic (unique to one geological location) to China, Such as, the Giant Panda, which is also China's most famous wildlife species. About one. sixth of mammal species and two-thirds of bird species are endemic to China. China's wildlife lives the same habitat as the largest human population in the world. Mainly due to human activity such as rapid urbanization, about 840 animal species are threatened. vulnerable and close to extinction. China's rapid urbanization does not only come with great benefits for the country, Evident disadvantages include severe pollution, habitat destruction and intense poaching for traditional Chinese medicine production ‘One of the major causes of biodiversity loss is urbanization. Currently, 40% of China's population live in cities. Approximately 350 million Chinese will move from the rural countryside to the major cities in 2025. During the first 20 years of the economic revolution an astounding 62 billion square meters of new housing were built to accommodate the growing population. Back in 1980, there were no skyscrapers in Shanghai. Today, there are double the number of skyscrapers New York City has. About 1000 cats are registered each day in China which means more space is needed for roads and expressways. “CHINA’S URBAN REVOLUTION HAS DESTROYED AS MUCH AS IT HAS BUILT.” ~ Thomas 3 Campanella About 15 to 20% of China's plant species are endangered. Genetic resources (Genetic material is any material of plant, animal, microbial or other origin containing functional units of heredity.) in China have declined sharply in the past 60 years. About 300 vertebrate species are also endangered This includes the Giant Panda population. According to a survey held in 2014, only about 2000 pandas are alive in the wildSince the late 1970s the Giant Panda population has risen by 1796, Aside from species, habitats are being lost as well. About 80% of China's grasslands and 40% of its wetlands have undergone severe declination. According to TRADINGECONOMICS, about 2296 of China is still covered in forests in 2015. “THE PEOPLE ARE LOSING THEIR PATIENCE WITH IT” says Evan Osnos of The New Yorker. According to CNBC, China's air pollution kills about 4,000 people per day. In Beijing. 80% of waterways are heavily polluted. The environmental costs of an economically developing nation are immensely felt by the population. These environmental disasters have forced China to obtain international aid. Back in 1980. the Chinese government signed the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna, In 1992, the Chinese also signed, ‘the Ramsar Convention and the Convention on Biological Diversity. Because of these conventions, China started to establish protected areas. The government also published the Action Plan for Biological Diversity Protection to attain their goal The measures taken have encouraged the development of many nature reserves around. China. In 1978, there were only 34 nature reserves in the whole of China, now there are more than 500 Together with the UN Convention of Biological Diversity. the UNDP is working with central government ministries such as the State Forestry Administration, State Oceanic Administration, Ministry of Environmental Protection and the Ministry of Agriculture, with the addition of 20 local governments to protect the biodiversity in China. Organizations such as the WWF, Greenpeace East Asia and 13 others are continuously aiding China in her ecological recuperation process. Li Lin, a Programme Executive Director of WWF China. “Economic growth in China, beyond its environmental capacity and ecological biocapacity is unsustainable. WWF believes China can do more to move towards a green economy and proposes that the nation manage natural capital better by using natural resources more efficiently. consuming energy more sustainably and responsibly growing its footprint in rural and urban areas.” Despite the enormous efforts and considerable process made, China still struggles with environmental issues and biodiversity loss. If progress slows down, China's environment will still continue to pay a huge price for its huge economic growth