The Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences (CRAES) is a research institute founded in 2008 as an arm of the Chinese Ministry of Ecology and Environment. Its remit takes in research, policy consultation and technical support in the implementation of national strategies and policies in the areas of climate change, environment protection and nature conservation. A central component of BfN-CRAES cooperation involves scientific exchange in the areas of biodiversity and ecosystem services. Since 2008, BfN and CRAES have organised joint annual workshops on current topics, held alternately in Germany and China. Cooperation between CRAES and BfN has been highlighted in governmental-level consultations and in the Sino-German Action Plan “Shaping Innovation Together”.

In addition to its collaboration with CRAES, primarily in the fields of biodiversity and ecosystem services, BfN also cooperates with other Chinese universities, state and non-state organisations, and in some cases in conjunction with other German and international partners. The aim is to aid the further development of nature conservation in China and Germany, and also beyond, and to promote networking. 

In 2022, and for the first time in close cooperation with CRAES and the UNEP-International Ecosystem Management Programme (UNEP-IEMP), BfN organised an online workshop specifically for young scientists from Germany and China. Working with the approximately 80 participants, a list of proposed activities was drawn up to strengthen research on ecosystem-based approaches and interdisciplinary collaboration. Among other things, this led to the identification of important research gaps and challenges. These focused, among other things, on the significant gaps in knowledge surrounding how ecosystems adapt to the effects of climate change, limited data on the use of ecosystem-based approaches at landscape level and the difficulty involved in collaboration between scientists from different disciplines.  

To enable consultation on matters surrounding environment and development, in 1992 the State Council of China called into being the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED). Then, in 2018, this high-level advisory council formed the Special Study Policy (SPS) Working Group on Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Conservation, among other things to obtain advice in the lead-up to the 15th Conference of the Parties to the CBD. And from 2021 to 2022, BfN was a member of the CCICED Working Group on Nature-based Solutions (NbS) and also provided support in a study conducted on Value Assessment of Nature-based Solutions. The main focus of the study was on the development of a framework for NbS planning and implementation that was compatible with Chinese policy. A prototype for an NbS database was also developed to enable systematic documentation of national and international projects. The Working Group also proposed a system for use in measuring the NbS contributions, especially their social aspects, in a consistent and comprehensive manner, while also taking account of the principles of international natural capital accounting.

In its cooperation activities with Chinese partners, BfN has concentrated on dialogue and exchange on integrative and innovative approaches to nature conservation. This included looking at opportunities to integrate biodiversity needs into urban planning. Together with partners such as ICLEI East Asia, BfN pursued a functional approach focused on the diverse functions of urban nature and green-blue infrastructure, such as for climate change adaptation and human wellbeing. In addition to integration into urban and regional planning, this also involved strengthening sub-national and local governments in their efforts to implement the Global Biodiversity Framework 2030 Targets. 

Since 2008, BfN has held German-Chinese workshops on selected biodiversity and nature conservation topics at regular intervals, alternating between China and Germany each time.

These form a central pillar of German-Chinese cooperation between BfN and our cooperation partner, the Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences (CRAES). The aim of the workshops is scientific dialogue and exchange on methodological approaches and research results, as well as on current and planned biodiversity-related projects and policy programmes. The workshops also provide an opportunity to discuss the focal points and action strategies of German biodiversity engagement, and explore opportunities for closer cooperation and more intensive networking between German-Chinese organisations. 

In the past, these workshops have focused on topics such as mainstreaming biodiversity aspects in other policy areas, assessment of ecosystem services – e.g. in relation to TEEB (The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity) – and the conservation and sustainable management of different biomes such as forests, water/wetlands and urban ecosystems. Most recently, the 12th bilateral workshop looked at the concept of nature-based solutions.

The 13th bilateral workshop: Implementing the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework - Enhancing Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functions through forest and wetland restoration, held from 6 – 9 November 2023, in Wuzhishan, China

During the workshop, scientists and practitioners from China and Germany as well as other European and Asian countries discussed projects, the results of studies and plans for the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework on the restoration of forests and wetland ecosystems. 

From the various contributions and talks, several key points emerged which should be taken into account in the planning, implementation and monitoring of restoration projects. For example, reference was made to the importance of long-term monitoring of renaturation projects and the associated knowledge-based planning of projects, involvement of local communities in project planning and creation of incentive schemes and income-generating measures to strengthen biodiversity and ecosystem services valorisation. Conflicts of interest, financing opportunities, policy prioritisation and the lack of long-term planning security were cited as the associated challenges faced.

One of the central issues addressed at the workshop related to the uncertainties and changes brought about by climate change and the possible courses of action to enable these to be considered in restoration projects. Potential synergies between biodiversity and climate protection were highlighted, with the biodiversity of forests, for example, being emphasised as a factor in resilience to climate change. Biodiverse forests are thus both more resilient and exhibit higher carbon sequestration rates.

Without questioning the importance of restoration measures, emphasis was placed on the fundamental importance of measures to protect natural ecosystems. These are more cost-effective and, when looked at in terms of quality and function, natural ecosystems are of greater value than restored habitats. 

The important role of non-governmental organisations was emphasised with regard to the exchange of experience in implementing nature-based solutions, and this was further underscored in the contribution from the Chinese Society of Entrepreneurs and Ecology.

The workshops were rounded off with excursions to the Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park and in the Dongzhai mangrove conservation area.

Some years ago, as part of the Kaliningrad Environment Days held annually from 2002 onwards, the possibility was explored of Germany providing support towards sustainable regional development in the Kaliningrad area. The first feasibility studies and zoning proposals for the development of a large-scale protected area – Romincka Forest – were made available in 2007. As part of a project completed in August 2022, German and Russian experts and stakeholders worked together to support the Wystinets Nature Park effort in nominating the Russian section of the Romincka Forest as a future UNESCO biosphere reserve. Among other things, application forms were jointly prepared for the Russian Federation to submit to UNESCO, and a management plan was drawn up for the protection and sustainable development of the future biosphere reserve. As there is as yet no biosphere reserve in the Kaliningrad region, the nomination would also represent a major step towards greater integration of Kaliningrad into UNESCO’s international Man and the Biosphere (MAB) science programme. The region would thus attain model character for the conservation and sustainable use of its natural resources – including by means of gentle, environmentally responsible tourism, environmental education, public participation and communication.

Beginning in 2013, together with Russian stakeholders, projects on TEEB (The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity) were conducted to determine the economic value of the services provided by nature and the costs of environmental degradation. In collaboration with German (Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development) and Russian (Biodiversity Conservation Center Moscow) scientific and non-governmental organisations, the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, and also with support from the German Federal Ministry for the Environment and BfN, an initial, consolidated assessment was published on ecosystem services in Russia. The results were then discussed with key decision-makers. The study also provided the basis for regional reports (Russia and selected neighbouring states) for the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. Building on that study, the approaches developed in it were further developed, enhanced and evaluated in the course of a subsequent study which looked at ways of integrating biodiversity and ecosystem services into various policy areas (including urban ecosystems/urban nature, peatland conservation, pollination as the basis of agricultural production) and initial steps towards incorporating values in the national accounts.