The Training Workshop for Provincial Biodiversity Conservation Strategy and Action Plan (PBSAP) compilation& formulation was successfully held in Haikou from April 19 to 21. Organized by the Department of Nature and Ecology Conservation (DNEC) of Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP), the event was co-organized by Foreign Economic Cooperation Office (FECO) of MEP and the Department of Land &Environmental Resources of Hainan Province and was financed by Global Environment Facility (GEF) funded Priority Institutional Strengthening and Capacity Development to Implement the China Biodiversity Partnership and Framework for Action Programme.

Baicheng Shou, Deputy General Director of DNEC, MEP, Madam Li Pei, Deputy Director General of FECO, Mao Dongli, Deputy Director General of Hainan Department of Land &Environmental Resources respectively delivered speeches on the meeting, which was attended by as many as over 90 participants from 31 provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the State Council, Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps and Bureau of Liaohe River Protracted Area. They were either responsible for ecological conservation in their departments or for compiling PBASA in their provinces.

In his speech, Mr. Baicheng Shou requested provinces to expedite work of PBASP formulation and reinforce supervision over the priority areas of protected areas as well as to strengthen protective and regulative efforts in biological species & resources and carry out demonstrative work for biodiversity conservation. Mr. Bai added that provinces should avail the opportunity provided by the “United Nations Decade for Biodiversity- China Action” for not only preparing PBASPs, but also for enlarged impact through carrying out dissemination activities.

Madam Li Pei pointed out in her speech that FECO would continuously give a full play to its advantages in international project execution and provide services to provinces in their effort to develop PBSAPs; FECO would serve the purpose of PBSAPs implementation in future by bringing in resources made available from international cooperation projects. In this way, fruits arising from fulfillment of the Convention of Biological Diversity would be better demonstrated and international negotiation be better supported. It was hoped that the workshop would enable FECO to gain more understanding of various needs at the provincial level and provide support accordingly, through different channels.

At the workshop, Yunnan, Guangxi, Qinghai and Hainan representatives took turns to report progress of PBSAP preparation in their provinces, followed by group sessions on which participants discussed and exchanged views on confronting difficulties & challenges, and shared experiences drawn and lessons learnt in PBSAP formulation. After the workshop, participants were organized to pay a field visit to protected areas of mangroves and a demonstration area for biodiversity restoration.

The organizers availed the opportunity of the gathering for the workshop to obtain further statistics about work progress, institutional setup, funding allocation, expected completion time, formulation of relevant documents, etc. which provided fundamental information and basis for overall arrangement of MEP in the upcoming months.

The Workshop is the fourth of its kind arranged by the MEP to support provincial endeavors in compilation of PBSAP, these successive events greatly fostered and reinforced exchanges among provinces to effectively move work forward and tackle challenges- the event was applauded by participating provinces and was regarded to have achieved outcome as anticipated.