Page 12 - JCAU-7-1

Journal of Chinese
Architecture and Urbanism Techniques for eco red-line management

Government of the People’s Republic of China, 2013). The influences (Ministry of Environmental Protection and
inclusion of ecological red-line delineation in the revised National Development and Reform Commission, 2017).
Environmental Protection Law of 2015 reinforced its legal
status (National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic 3.1.2. Navigating ecological security challenges
of China, 2015). The official release of the Guidelines for The existing guidelines address various ecological security
Delineating Ecological Protection Red Lines in 2017 marked issues, including land degradation, loss of ecological
a milestone in the completion of red-line delineation in 15 functions, and decline of environmental quality. However,
provinces, with the remaining provinces awaiting approval the direct link between these issues and the unsustainable
(Ministry of Ecology and Environment of the People’s use of resources and the environment by human activities
Republic of China and National Development and Reform remains unclear. Indeed, complexities arise from the inherent
Commission, 2017). contradiction between local resource and environmental
Throughout the delineation process, it became apparent conservation efforts and the imperatives of human economic
that regional ecological protection red lines faced diverse and social development. These problems manifest differently
challenges due to variations in natural environments and across regions, with different traits, developmental paths,
economic contexts. Addressing these challenges requires and effects on ecological red lines, making it difficult to fully
tailored management and control strategies to effectively understand and differentiate them regionally. As a result,
safeguard ecological security and uphold the integrity of each ecological security issue requires specific analyses and
these ecological protection red lines (Li & Chen, 2020). tailored control measures. Moreover, considering spatial
dimensions, disturbances to ecological security and human-
3. Urgent issues in regional ecological red- caused problems can affect the nature, quality, and function
line management of ecological red lines, both within and beyond designated
red line boundaries. Therefore, it is important to deepen our
3.1. Clarifying key concepts and their significance understanding of the broader scope, nature, and geographic
3.1.1. Strengthening the ecological protection red dimensions of ecological security issues to develop effective,
line: Addressing human-caused impacts spatially aware, problem-specific prevention, control, and
management plans.
Enhancing the rationale and imperatives of implementing
the ecological protection red line system while mitigating 3.2. Standardizing research content
human-caused negative impacts has become crucial. The 3.2.1. Understanding ecological security issues for red
concept of ecological protection red lines has undergone line protection
multiple revisions in documents issued by the Ministry
of Environmental Protection since 2012, with the latest Effectively protecting ecological red lines requires first
definition outlined in the guidelines, which delineate identifying and then thoroughly analyzing the various
these lines as areas with special and important ecological ecological security issues that threaten these areas. The
functions that must be compulsorily and strictly protected process involves the following steps:
(Ministry of Environmental Protection, 2017). The State (a) Identifying ecological security issues: China’s vast
Council first proposed the concept of ecological red lines territory encompasses diverse natural resources
in 2011, providing initial guidance for delineation tasks, and ecological environments, with each region
which subsequently elevated the ecological red-line system characterized by unique resources (such as water,
to a national strategy in 2013 (State Council of China, soil, minerals, and biological assets) and distinct
2013). Since then, delineation plans have progressed environmental contexts (including topography, climate,
across provinces. However, challenges have arisen due to soil, and vegetation). Consequently, ecological security
diverse ecological security issues, necessitating tailored issues vary across regions, exhibiting unique and
management and control strategies to safeguard ecological intricate characteristics (Li et al., 2020). Therefore, it is
safety (State Council of China, 2011b). The term “strict imperative to categorize the types, spatial distribution,
protection” underscores the imperative to curb human- extent, developmental trajectory, and temporal-spatial
caused disruptions to vital ecological areas. However, dynamics of these issues. (Reichel, A., and Perey, R.
the guidelines currently lack a comprehensive analysis of 2018). This categorization process entails diagnosing
ecological risks and the adverse impacts of human activities. the targets, scope, and severity of ecological harm,
To bolster the rationale for implementing the red line system ultimately facilitating a comprehensive understanding
and address ecological security concerns more effectively, it of regional ecological risk sources and establishing
is imperative to fortify the concept of ecological protection clear objectives for ecological security maintenance
red lines and raise awareness of the detrimental human (Wang & Zhang, 2018).

Volume 7 Issue 1 (2025) 3 https://doi.org/10.36922/jcau.3502