By tf-lawyer.com On October 27, the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity’s 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) in Cali, Colombia, announced that Guilin, located in Guangxi, has been selected for the “Nature Cities” platform.
According to the Guangxi Ecology and Environment Department, the “Nature Cities” platform is an online interactive initiative developed in collaboration with organizations such as ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, The Nature Conservancy, the World Wildlife Fund, and the United Nations Environment Programme. This platform serves as the largest global resource for sharing knowledge and case studies on urban and local biodiversity conservation, offering a wealth of guides, tools, and case studies to help cities reassess their relationship with nature and strive for mutual prosperity.
During COP15 in 2022, the first six Chinese cities—Kunming, Chengdu, Huzhou, Nanyang, Jiaxing, and Shenzhen—were chosen for this initiative. Now, Guilin is proud to be the first city in Guangxi to join the “Nature Cities” platform.
Guilin’s biodiversity is significant, as it is part of one of the 25 global biodiversity hotspots and ranks third in biodiversity richness in China. The city is home to 638 known species of terrestrial vertebrates and 3,120 species of wild vascular plants. It has established 32 nature reserves covering an area of 624,100 hectares.
In recent years, Guilin has committed itself to protecting its stunning landscape, positioning the Li River as a model for comprehensive river management and a global benchmark for ecological preservation. This effort aims to provide the world with a replicable and scalable “Guilin experience.”
