In 2016, the National Development and Reform Commission and the Paulson Institute jointly commissioned a study to map the potential candidate sites for national parks. Northwest Yunnan was identified as a priority, due to its rich biodiversity, critical ecological services, and beautiful landscapes.
Today, the Paulson Institute and the National Park Administration, along with a group of experts from Tsinghua University and the Kunming Survey and Design Institute of the National Administration of Forestry and Grassland are now developing a systematic plan for the development of national parks in northwest Yunnan. The project, due for completion in 2020, will look at existing protected areas in the region and present alternatives for establishing a mosaic of national parks and other protected areas.
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Northwest Yunnan is rich in biodiversity and ecological services. For example, the Three Parallel River World Heritage Site, the largest of its kind, was inscribed by UNESCO in 2013. The region is the core of the Hengduan Mountains, a world-class hotspot for biodiversity conservation. The area is also rich in cultural diversity with many indigenous peoples, such as Lisu, Naxi, Dulong, and Nu. Also, three great rivers (the Yangtze, Mekong, and Salween) run through the region providing fresh water and ecological services for hundreds of millions of people in China and Southeast Asia
Needs for proper economic development, interests, and willingness of key stakeholders, land use, and other constraints to the expansion of the protected areas will be given full consideration in the planning process. The project will serve as a case study to explore how to translate the overarching guidelines from the central government into sound on-the-ground actions at the regional and local levels.
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