August 15 marks China's National Ecology Day. We delve into the 2023 Report on the State of the Ecology and Environment in China to highlight the key findings.

Air quality showed significant progress, with 85.5 percent of the days in 2023 classified as excellent or good, based on an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 0 to 100. Surface water quality also improved, with 89.4 percent of monitored sections meeting Grade I to Ⅲ standards, reflecting an increase of 1.5 percentage points from the previous year.

In marine environments, the summer of 2023 saw 97.9 percent of sea areas under jurisdiction achieve Seawater Quality Standard Grade I. Additionally, nearshore water quality continued to improve, with 85 percent of these areas reaching excellent or good status (Grade I & Ⅱ).

On land, ecological conservation red lines now protect approximately 3.04 million square kilometers, which covers over 30 percent of the country's land area. These protected zones safeguard 90 percent of China's terrestrial ecosystem types and 74 percent of key state-protected wildlife and plant species.

Read more about biodiversity conservation in China