The Instinct to Protect

In addition to water governance, the province has also issued the "Lijiang Declaration of Biodiversity Conservation in Northwest Yunnan," established the "Joint Conference System of Biodiversity Conservation in Northwest Yunnan," and organized a biodiversity assessment.

Yunnan is well known for its diversity in biology, boasting 20,000 species of higher animals and plants and a rich and complex eco-system. Thus far, a complete bio-diversity database has been established, assessing 129 counties on five indicators: species richness, diversity of ecosystem types, completeness of vertical stratification of vegetation, endemism, and extent of biological invasion.

Home to dozens of ethnic groups, the countryside in Yunnan boasts great scenery but is fragile in the face of pollution. A series of measures were designed to save the wholesomeness of its rural life, including protection for drinking water sources, reining industrial pollution and preventing overuse of fertilizer and pesticides.

Currently 10 towns named China's most beautiful are in Yunnan. "We need to tell citizens that it's a shame to destroy nature, and a duty to protect it," wrote Governor Qin Guangrong, addressing the third anniversary of the Protection Action Plan of Yunnan. "The protection of nature should be instinctual to every person and every organization, reflected to every action of our daily lives."