Guangzhou's Nansha District has been named the Urban Biodiversity Demonstration, becoming the only region in China to receive the designation. The accolade was conferred on October 24 at the 9th Summit for Subnational Governments & Cities—an official parallel event to the UN Biodiversity Conference COP17 held in Yerevan, Armenia.
According to the certificate issued at the summit, the award is in recognition of Nansha's "outstanding commitment and contributions to the protection of local biodiversity." The Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI) initiative aims to select local governments that demonstrate exemplary value in urban biodiversity protection, blue-green infrastructure construction, ecological restoration and coordinated sustainable development.
The honor adds to a growing list of international accolades for Nansha, following its gold award in the UN "World's Most Liveable City" competition, its inclusion in the global "Cities With Nature" platform and the Global Electric Mobility Network (GEAN) Award. This latest recognition affirms the district's approach to translating its distinctive ecological endowments—mountains, urban areas, farmland, rivers and seas—into drivers of high-quality development.
Nansha joined ICLEI in June 2024, becoming the first administrative district in Guangzhou to do so. At the same summit, the Ecological Restoration of the Coastal Wetlands on the North Bank of the Jiaomen Waterway was also officially included in the publication Case Studies of Urban Biodiversity Conservation in China. The project highlights Nansha's hands-on experience in coastal ecological restoration, mangrove protection and land-sea integrated biodiversity governance, sharing its modernization practices of harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature.
Reporter | Li Xindi
Photos | Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of Guangzhou Nansha Economic and Technological Development Zone
