China's 2025 Ecological Protection Report shows major gains in conservation and restoration

China has released a comprehensive assessment of its national Ecological Protection Red Line system, documenting significant progress in conserving critical lands and waters since the network was fully established in 2022.

According to the 2025 Blue Book on Ecological Protection Red Lines, forest area within protected zones has expanded by 3,344 square kilometers, while human activity within marine red line areas has decreased by more than 35 percent since 2022.

As a cornerstone of China's ecological civilization strategy, the system legally safeguards the country's most vital and fragile terrestrial and marine ecosystems. Vegetation cover and net primary productivity within the protected areas have increased by 1.29 percent and 2.22 percent on average, respectively. Marine ecosystems also show marked recovery, with mangrove coverage rising by 22 percent, live coral coverage up by 5.5 percent and seagrass beds expanding by 9.4 percent.

Although construction and mining activities have continued to decline within the designated zones, there has been a regulated increase in essential public-interest infrastructure, such as necessary transportation links and water management facilities. This reflects the system's inherent flexibility, allowing critical livelihood projects while maintaining strict ecological boundaries.

The document emphasizes that the red line system functions within a complex socio-economic context. A multi-tiered governance structure has enhanced coordination between central and local authorities and across government departments. An integrated "sky-air-ground" monitoring network enables dynamic, real-time tracking of ecological conditions and human activities. Meanwhile, pilot initiatives in ecological compensation, ecosystem service valuation and community engagement are yielding replicable models for sustainable protected-area management.

The release of the 2025 Blue Book provides a transparent, data-driven overview of China's advances in protecting its most important ecosystems. It reaffirms the country's commitment to science-based ecological governance and offers insights for future policy refinement and international dialogue on large-scale conservation.