Ecological conservation features Guian’s high-quality development

A news report by Huanqiu.com:

Located in the center of southwest China’s Guizhou province and along the Wujiang River, Guiyang city was born and grows. In the city, Guian New Area, a national-level new area aiming to build an ecological demonstration zone, has held fast to the two bottom lines of development and ecology in recent years, deeply implemented ecological strategies, prioritized ecological and green development, and endeavored to make new achievements in ecological conservation.

Green development is a shining, defining feature of development in the new area and fundamental values held by Guiyang. Sound ecological environment has become the greatest development and competitive strength of Guian New Area in Guiyang.

Prioritizing ecological conservation as the defining feature

In Wenquan town of Guiyang’s Xifeng county, the beautiful scenery itself presents an ink wash painting featuring twittering birds, fragrant flowers, gurgling streams and lush mountains. A ranger Zheng Faming noted, “A few years ago, the mountains here were barren. Now, afforestation as well as mountain patrol and regulation has not only improved the ecological environment, but also generated income for the locals.”

Such green transformation from bleak hills to verdant landscape did not only occurred in Wenquan town. In recent years, Guian New Area in Guiyang has promoted greening programs in a well-conceived manner, acted to increase the forests’ quality and efficacy, expanded land space for afforestation and strictly supervised the afforestation quality, so as to increase the number and quality of forest and grassland resources. Guian New Area has also advanced the establishment of forest systems including forest towns and townships, forest villages, and forest households, and ensured that the forest coverage rate increases more than one percentage point per year.

Statistics show that in the past five years, Guian New Area has coordinated the integrated protection and restoration of mountains, rivers, forests, farmlands, lakes and grasslands, afforested 116,000 hectares of land, conserved 800 hectares of mountains, and built 1,025 parks of various types, increasing the forest coverage rate to 55%. In the new era, Guian New Area, keeping its water lucid and mountains lush, has become a big mountain and forest park integrating the ecosystems of mountains, rivers, forests, farmlands, lakes and grasslands, making green development and ecological conservation its most distinctive development strength.

In addition, Guian New Area has focused on systematic governance and worked further to keep its sky blue, waters lucid, and lands pollution-free, solid waste treated and rural environment improved to continuously upgrade the environment quality.

It is reported that in the first half of this year, the ratio of days with good or excellent air quality in Guiyang reached 100%, and the water of all centralized drinking-water source areas in 17 places above county level was up to standard. The city’s 28 national and provincial water sections all had its water up to par, with the rate of water of good or excellent quality being 96.43%. Overall, the groundwater is of good quality, and all the contaminated plots can be utilized safely. Steady progress has been made in solving the global problems of industrializing the use of phosphogypsum while recycling it and increasing its value. Phosphorus chemical enterprises have achieved annual balance between production and consumption of phosphogypsum. Energy consumption per unit of GDP has steadily dropped, and all general industrial solid waste has been treated and reused, with green economy accounting for 47%.

Green development unleashing more dividends

Forest-related industries have been developed and lush mountains have brought income. Nowadays, forest-related economy has boosted Guiyang’s “green productivity” and contributed to its economic endeavors with distinctive features.

The Plan to Promote High-quality Development of Forest-related Economy in Guian New Area of Guiyang was issued in 2021. According to the plan, the forest-related economy will be developed as a driving force to promote further rural industrial revolution. By 2025, more than 153,333 hectares of land will be used for forest-related economy, the output value of primary forestry will grow by 6% annually, and the output value of whole industrial chain of the forest-related economy will total more than10 billion yuan.

The correspondent learned that Guian New Area in Guiyang will also utilize its forest resources in a sound manner while protecting the resources and their ecological functions. It will vigorously develop the forest-related economy, highlight local features, and develop forest fungi, forest herbs, forest poultry, forest bees and other distinctive forest industries. The new area will also accelerate intensive processing of forest-related products, promote the upgrading of forest eco-tourism and forest health care industry, and build a whole industrial chain integrating production, research and development, processing, sales, tourism and culture in distinctive forest industries.

In addition, Guiyang has strengthened the adjustment of industrial structure, focused on the flower industry, vigorously promoted ecological industrialization and conserved ecology in industrial development, and pursued green development. Following the development philosophy of turning fields into parks, parks into scenic spots and products into commodities, the city has cultivated six leading industries of distinctive vegetables, quality fruits, flowers and seedlings, special breeding, healthy food and medicine, and ecological tea garden.

Holding fast to the two bottom lines of development and ecology and following the idea of lucid water and lush mountains being invaluable assets, Guian New Area in Guiyang has vigorously developed digital economy, tourism and health industry, sped up the construction of a global tourist city featuring ecological conservation, and built industrial parks featuring green development and recycling, so as to drive high-quality economic growth through green development.

SOURCE: Huanqiu.com