China Completes Unified Registration of Natural Resources for National Parks

China's Ministry of Natural Resources has announced the completion of the unified and confirmed registration of natural resources for the country's first batch of national parks. This step is crucial in clarifying issues around ownership, management responsibilities, and ecological boundaries to serve the protection and supervision of natural resources. The registration process provides a robust legal foundation for national park management, upholds public ownership, and strengthens property rights protection. It also solidifies the property rights foundation for ecological civilization construction and ensures the practical implementation of the "Two Mountains theory".

Key Takeaways:

• China declared the establishment of its first batch of national parks in 2021, including the National Park of Hainan Tropical Rainforest, Wuyishan National Park, Giant Panda National Park, Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park, and Three-River-Source National Park.
• The unified and confirmed registration of natural resource rights clarifies ownership, management responsibilities, and ecological boundaries for the national parks.
• The registration process establishes a robust property rights framework essential for unlocking the ecological product value within national parks.
• The National Park of Hainan Tropical Rainforest is the first to complete its natural resource rights confirmation and registration process, covering 4,268.54 square kilometers with nearly 90 percent state-owned.
• Three-River-Source National Park, covering 190,700 sq km, completed its confirmation and registration work on July 4, 2022, marking the completion of registration for all national parks.
• The confirmation and registration of natural resource rights has established a basis for the allocation of rights and responsibilities regarding the disposal, allocation, paid use, and revenue management of natural resource assets owned by the public in the national parks.
• The registration process has resolved disputes over natural resource property rights by outlining ownership boundaries between governments at different levels, collective owners, and the public.

Statistics:

• Up to the end of July 2022, 1,057 key areas nationwide, totaling 320,000 sq km, have been covered under the unified and confirmed registration of natural resource rights.
• The five national parks have a total area of 466,811 square kilometers, covering 23.4% of the country's total land area.
• As of 2022, the five national parks cover an area of 320,000 square kilometers, which accounts for 4.3% of China's land area.

Sources:

• Photo/Xinhua
• State Council of the People's Republic of China