ENVIRONMENTAL AUDITING

Name of the project: Auditing investigations over the administration and management of two nature reserves.

Audit objects: Xishuang Banna National Nature Reserve

Jiangsu Yancheng National Wild Birds Reserve

Audit objectives: to better understand the current situation of nature reserve administration and management to provide support for the work of environmental protection.  

Type of Audit: Performance audit investigation   

Audit institution: China National Audit Office

Background Information

China is a country with great biological diversity and also one of the first countries that joined the “Convention on Biological Diversity ”. In China, nature reserve plays a leading role in biological diversity protection. Other ways of protection such as scenic and historical pot, forest park and geologic park only account for less than 10% of the total areas where biodiversity is protected. By 2003, 1999 nature reserves of different levels have been established in Mainland China, covering a total area of 144 million hectares, one seventh of total land area.

With the aim to better understand and analyze the management of nature reserves including the implementation of “Convention on Biological Diversity ”, to provide support for the work of natural resources protection, the CNAO carried out auditing investigation over Xishuang Banna National Nature Reserve and Jiangsu Yancheng National Wild Birds Reserve.

Introduction to the objects of audit.

Xishuang Banna National Nature Reserve was declared in 1958. In 1993, it was designated by the UNESCO as member of the MAB (Man and the Biosphere) Biosphere Reserve List.

Yancheng National Wild Birds Reserve was established in 1983 and in 1992 it was inscribed on the MAB Biosphere Reserve List. In 1996 and 1999, it was respectively designated in the “Northeast Asia Crane Network ” and “East Asia – Australia Wading Bird Migration Network ”. In 2002 it was listed in the “World Important Wetlands ”.

Procedure of audit investigation.

In September 2004, the audit team visited SEPA (State Environmental Protection Administration) and SFA (State Forestry Administration) to make investigations on the administration and management of the nature reserves nationwide.

In October, the audit team visited the Xishuang Banna National Nature Reserve and had discussions with the management of the reserve. The team also visited some subordinate administration bodies of the reserve.

In November, the audit team visited the Jiangsu Yancheng National Wild Birds Reserve and had discussions with management of the reserve. The team also visited some subordinate administration bodies. The team visited Jiangsu Dafeng Elk National Nature Reserve and Nanjing Environment Science Institution.   

Results of Investigation

The management of nature reserves has brought out some good results, which can be reflected through the following aspects:

a) Local governments have enacted related laws and regulations to strengthen the management of nature reserves, such as “Xishuang Banna Forestry Resources Protection Regulations ”, “ Xishuang Banna Nature Reserve Administration Rules” and “Xishuang Banna Wild Faunas Protection Regulations ”which were adopted by the Xishuang Banna prefecture government, “Jiansu Province Yancheng City National Wild Birds Reserve Administration Rules” and “Management Rules of Yancheng National Nature Reserve and Adjacent Area” by Yancheng City Government;

b) Management bodies of the nature reserves were established. In Xishuang Banna National Nature Reserve and Jiangsu Yancheng National Wild Birds Reserve, management offices or bureaus were established.   

c) Funding of the nature reserves is diversified with investment from state and local government and bilateral and multilateral nongovernmental organizations. Taking Xishuang Banna National Nature Reserve as an example, from 2001 to 2003, 9.23 million and 6.05 million RMB was invested by central and local government respectively.

d) The management of nature reserves has achieved some good results. Management bodies of the Xishuang Banna National Nature Reserve attache great importance to the coordination between the biodiversity protection of the nature reserve and the social and economic development of local area. The number of the wild floras and faunas of the reserve area has increased while the local tourism has made some development and traditional customs of local minority peoples are duly respected.  

Some issue should be addressed in the future.

a) The functions of the nature reserves are not fully performed. Taking Jiangsu Yancheng National Wild Birds as an example, the reserve administration body has no jurisdiction over buffer areas and experimental areas of the reserve. As a result, the buffer and experimental areas loose their functions because the administration body has no right to stop the faming and cultivation activities in these areas.

b) No effective counteraction plans against the species from outside. Both of the two nature reserves have experienced invasion by foreign species but no effective counteraction was adopted by the administration body. In Xishuang Banna Nature Reserve region, over planting of a kind of herb named Yangchun Sharen has brought damages to the flora diversity of the reserve area and the situation has not been improved in recent years. In the core area of Yancheng National Wild Birds Reserve, a kind of grass named Damicao flourishes and expands from coast area to inland with a very high speed every year taking the place of wetlands and thus endangers the habitat of some rare wild birds like red-crowned crane. However no appropriate approaches were adopted to stop the spread of this kind of grass.      

Audit recommendations

Relevant management bodies of the nature reserves should strength the control over core, buffer and experimental areas of nature reserves.

As to the invasion by foreign species and sustainable development between nature and human beings, more researches should be made.