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China builds a complete red line system to strengthen ecological conversation

Published

3 years ago

May 30, 2023

By Chang Qin, People’s Daily

China had completed setting ecological conservation red lines nationwide, the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) announced during an activity held on the World Earth Day recently in Fuzhou, southeast China’s Fujian province.

The red lines cover areas that are ecologically vital and vulnerable and have important potential ecological value. These areas must be put under mandatory and rigorous protection.

China took the lead in proposing and implementing the red line system for ecological conservation.

The country has put no less than 3.15 million square km of its area, including no less than 3 million square km of land area, and no less than 150,000 square km of sea area, under the ecological conservation red lines.

It has formulated rules and implemented strict measures to strengthen monitoring and control of areas covered by the red lines, achieving effective management and control of ecological red line areas.

“The ecological conservation red lines are the bottom lines and lifelines for safeguarding national ecological security,” said Zhang Bing, an official with the MNR.

Feng Wenli, president of the China Land Surveying and Planning Institute, said China has made great progress in economic and social development since the launch of reform and opening-up, but ecological problems have become prominent bottlenecks hindering socio-economic development due to ecosystem degradation and the decline in capability for the supply of ecological products.

“Setting and strictly applying red lines for ecological conservation is a major strategic deployment made by China and an important institutional innovation in its ecological progress,” Feng said.

As the main department responsible for China’s ecological conservation, the MNR, together with departments including the Ministry of Ecology and Environment and the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, organized the assessment, adjustment, and demarcation of ecological conservation red lines and completed setting the lines for the first time according to the national territorial space planning outline (2021-2035) and relevant plans at the provincial, municipal and county levels.

In Harbin city, northeast China’s Heilongjiang province, around 10,700 square km, or about 20 percent of its territorial area, is demarcated within the red lines, including major mountain ranges such as the Lesser Hinggan Mountains and the Zhangguangcai Mountains, as well as the mainstream and tributaries of the Songhua River, other rivers, lakes, wetlands and other areas, with the main aim of improving ecological functions including water and soil conservation, water source conservation and biodiversity preservation.

Jiamusi city in Heilongjiang puts over 12 percent of its territorial area under the protection of the red lines, including areas that are critical in environmental function, ecologically sensitive and vulnerable, as well as natural protected areas that include national parks, nature reserves and natural parks.

Southwest China’s Yunnan province has no less than 113,200 square km, or over 29 percent of its territorial area in the ecological conservation red lines. The province’s protected areas, excluding some areas of scenic areas there, are within the red lines, with 15 typical ecosystems including the tropical rainforest ecosystem being systematically protected. The red lines cover the habitats and migration channels of more than 90 percent of key state-protected plants and 80 percent of key state-protected animals in Yunnan, further improving the function of ecosystems.

Feng said the ecological conservation red lines mainly cover the ecological shield area of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, key ecological areas along the Yellow River, key ecological areas along the Yangtze River, northeast forest belts, northern sand prevention belts, hilly areas in south China, and coastal areas. The red lines cover typical terrestrial ecosystem types including most of the natural forests, grasslands and wetlands, typical marine ecosystems such as mangroves, coral reefs and seagrass beds, as well as the vast majority of uninhabited islands.

No ratio targets of areas have been preset during the process of drawing the red lines. In some provincial-level regions, the ecological red line areas account for more than 50 percent of the regions’ territorial areas and in other provincial-level areas, that percentage is less than 10 percent, said Feng.

At present, provincial regions, including Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Shanghai, Shandong, Anhui and Sichuan, have rolled out detailed rules for the controls of the ecological conservation red lines. The rest of Chinese provincial regions are soliciting public opinion for similar rules or are about to introduce ones to strengthen the supervision of the red lines.

“To strictly enforce ecological conservation red lines, we need to improve long-term mechanisms,” Zhang said.

He added that the MNR will foster stronger collaboration between the ministry and local governments, regularly conduct conservation performance evaluations of the red lines, strengthen the capabilities for dynamic monitoring and early warning, accelerate the revision of relevant laws and regulations and increase publicity, so as to build a modern China where humanity and nature exist in harmony.

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Kwara: Ifelodun Travellers Transport System Revived

Published

11 hours ago

August 19, 2026

Our Reporter

As Council Signs MoU With P&A Contract Ltd

Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin

The Ifelodun local Government, under the leadership of Hadji Abdulrasheed Femi Yusuf, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with P & A Contract Limited for the construction of a modern motor park in Amoyo, as the Council moves to revive the Ifelodun Travellers transport system and improve transportation within the Local Government.

Speaking during the MoU signing ceremony at the Council s Contact Office in Amoyo, the Chairman explained that the decision to construct the motor park was driven by the need for Ifelodun Local Government to establish its own transport identity, intended to ease people’s transportation problem.

He recalled that residents travelling to and from Ifelodun had, over the years, relied on transport facilities at Offa Garage and Maraba in Ilorin, stressing the need to create a dedicated transport hub that would serve the people of the Local Government.

“At some point in the history of Ifelodun Local Government, we had Ifelodun Travellers, which does not exist anymore. I don’t think there is anything wrong with bringing that identity back to the limelight. Now, we want to add value to that identity,” the Chairman said.

He added that the Council was also working with relevant stakeholders to bring in 10 units of Korope buses, which would commence operations as soon as possible.

“We are working with the NURTW, Kwara State Chapter, for guidance and to ensure that the operation runs smoothly,” he added.

The Supervisory Councillor for Works and Infrastructure Development, Mrs. Kolo Rebecca, explained that the proposed park would feature several amenities, including a garage, warehouse, 100-unit shopping complex, parking spaces and general toilets.

She said the facilities were designed to boost economic activities, improve the image of the Local Government and provide a more convenient transportation system for residents.

According to her, the initiative is also in line with the efforts of the Kwara State Governor, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, to take governance and development directly to the grassroots.

The contractor, Mallam Jimoh Toheeb Abolore, assured the Local Government of the prompt execution of the project, promising that the construction would meet the required standards and contribute positively to the image and development of Ifelodun Local Government.

Those in attendance included the Vice Chairman, Hon. Nike Ajibola; Secretary to the Local Government, Dr. Kamil Akorede; DPM, Mallam Ayinde Salman; LGT, Mallam Usman Waheed; Chief of Staff to the Chairman, Chief Ademola Zubair; Head of Works, Engr. Awodi Muhammad; Land officer, Tola Kadir and other Special Assistants.

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Lawyer Demands Release of Detained Kano Blogger, Maryam Shehu

Published

1 day ago

August 18, 2026

Our Reporter

By Hassan Agboola

A lawyer and human rights activist, Hamza Nuhu Dantani, has called for the immediate release of Kano-based blogger, Maryam Shehu, who he said has been in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for almost 30 days.

Dantani, in a statement on Monday, said the prolonged detention of Shehu was becoming difficult to reconcile with the rule of law and provisions of the 1999 Constitution, particularly her fundamental right to personal liberty.
He questioned why Shehu should remain in detention for nearly 30 days, particularly over an offence he described as ordinarily bailable.

“How on earth can a person be detained for almost 30 days and counting, particularly in relation to an offence that is ordinarily bailable, without meaningful consideration of her liberty and constitutional rights?” he asked.
Dantani said the EFCC’s powers to investigate did not give the commission the right to detain a suspect indefinitely, punish her before trial or disregard her fundamental rights.

He also criticised the alleged practice of photographing persons in EFCC custody and publishing their images online while they remain presumed innocent.
Citing Section 36(5) of the Constitution, Dantani said the law guarantees the presumption of innocence until a suspect is proven guilty by a competent court.

He warned that publicly portraying suspects as criminals before trial could amount to subjecting them to public punishment and humiliation.
“The EFCC is a law-enforcement institution. It must therefore be the first institution to demonstrate obedience to law. It cannot demand respect for law from citizens while appearing to disregard constitutional safeguards itself,” he said.

Dantani urged the commission to either charge Shehu before a competent court if it has credible evidence against her or release her immediately
.
“We call on EFCC to respect the Constitution, respect presumption of innocence and respect fundamental right to personal liberty. Investigation is not conviction. Detention is not punishment. And an allegation is not guilt,” he said.

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Cristiano Ronaldo’s Comment on Lionel Messi’s Tribute to His Dad Becomes Most-Liked Instagram Comment

Published

1 day ago

August 18, 2026

Our Reporter

By Fabian Apechihin

Cristiano Ronaldo’s heartfelt message to Lionel Messi following the death of his father, Jorge Messi, has reportedly become the most-liked comment in Instagram history.

Jorge Messi died on August 7 in Rosario, Argentina, aged 68. Five days later, Messi paid tribute to his late father in an emotional Instagram post featuring a photo of the pair.

In the post, Messi wrote, “Te amo, pa” — meaning “I love you, Dad” — alongside a lengthy tribute reflecting on his father’s influence and the pain of losing him.

Among the many reactions from fans, celebrities and fellow footballers was a message from Ronaldo.

“Un abrazo enorme para ti y los tuyos en estos duros momentos, Leo. Mucha fuerza,” Ronaldo wrote, which translates to: “A huge hug to you and yours in these tough times, Leo. Much strength.”

Ronaldo’s comment reportedly attracted more than 6.86 million likes and over 86,000 comments, making it the most-liked comment on Instagram.

The previous record was also held by Ronaldo, whose comment on Kylian Mbappé’s announcement of his move to Real Madrid reportedly received more than five million likes.

Other football stars also expressed their condolences to Messi. Neymar Jr.’s message, translated as “Much strength for you and your family. Big hug,” reportedly received more than 1.6 million likes, while David Beckham’s comment expressing support for Messi and his family attracted more than 300,000 likes.

In his tribute, Messi described his father’s death as difficult to comprehend, saying he struggled to accept that he would no longer see or speak with him.

Messi also recalled how his father had encouraged him to play at the 2026 World Cup despite his deteriorating health. He said his father had hoped to watch him compete and had planned to travel if his condition improved.

According to Messi, he had promised his father that Argentina would reach the final so he could be there. Although Argentina reached the final, his father was unable to attend.

Reflecting on the loss, Messi said he had wanted to win the tournament and bring the trophy to his father but ultimately struggled physically during the competition.

The emotional tribute highlighted the close bond between Messi and his father and the profound impact of his loss on the football superstar.