Backdrop of the 1st Workshop of the Series

NRDC launched the “Protected Area and Community” workshop series with Beijing Forestry University and the National Park and Protected Areas Committee on May 27.  The workshop series aims to support a protected-area system that not only can provide effective protection to nature but also enable a thriving local community that enjoys the benefits of the protection. The theme of the first workshop was Protected Areas Governance and Natural Resources Ownership. Leading conservation policy and national park management experts, and experts and officials from Yunnan, Qinghai and Hainan attended the workshop. The three provinces are pioneers in either natural reserves or national parks. The experts reviewed the progress of natural resources ownership system reform and the opportunities it brings to protected area governance, especially on engaging the local communities. The online workshop attracted over 3,000 views. The Qinghai Forestry and Grassland Administration organized an all-staff viewing of the workshop to learn about key issues in building a protected-area system in China from the experts.  The China Science Daily and China Economic Times covered the workshop highlights. The workshop series has support from the Chinese Society of Forestry, the Northeast Tiger and Leopard National Park Administration, and Qinghai Provincial Forestry and Grassland Bureau—our local policy and community work partners.