On April 2, 2026, the seminar “Enhancing Connectivity of Protected Areas in China: Methods, Practices, and Policy Coordination” was held at Tsinghua University. The event was guided by the National Forestry and Grassland Administration (NFGA), organized by the Institute for National Parks (Tsinghua University) and the School of Architecture, Tsinghua University, and co-organized by NatureXpairs and Agence Française de Développement (AFD). It was also supported by the China Biodiversity Fund (CBF) Project and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) Connectivity Conservation Specialist Group (CCSG).
Against the backdrop of global biodiversity loss and infrastructure expansion, connectivity is rapidly becoming a central issue in the development of protected area systems. The seminar explored how connectivity can move beyond assessment and become part of a broader governance approach. In this context, the seminar also serves as a concrete contribution to the implementation of WCC-2025-Res-126, “Recognising and Reporting Ecological Corridors,” within the framework of the IUCN WCPA CCSG.
The seminar was moderated by ZHAO Zhicong, Associate Professor at Tsinghua University, Deputy Director of the Institute for National Parks (Tsinghua University), and Co-Chair of the IUCN WCPA CCSG. In her opening remarks, ZHAO Zhicong noted that connectivity is not only essential to ecosystem integrity, but is also becoming an increasingly important issue in international biodiversity governance.
Before the formal opening of the seminar, participants took part in a brief yet symbolic session, joining hands for a group photo as a symbol of their shared commitment to stronger collaboration on biodiversity conservation and ecological connectivity, and to harmonious coexistence between humans and nature.
ZHANG Xin, Professor at Tsinghua University and Secretary of the Party Committee of the School of Architecture, Tsinghua University, said that Tsinghua University has built a strong foundation in national park and protected area research. Under the leadership of Professor YANG Rui, the national park research team has continued to advance research on topics such as connectivity, contributing to the development of a distinct body of Chinese experience with growing international influence.
Speaking on behalf of SUN Hongyan, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Protected Area Management of the NFGA, WANG Jun, Director of the Biodiversity Division of the Department of Protected Area Management of the NFGA, said that China has already carried out a range of explorations in response to fragmentation in protected areas, but further work is still needed in assessment methods, regional coordination, and policy alignment.
Aaron Laur, Co-Chair of the IUCN WCPA CCSG, emphasized that ecological connectivity has been incorporated into international frameworks such as the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and provides important support for achieving the “30×30” target.
Emmanuel Comolet, Deputy Director of the AFD Beijing Office, said that cooperation among China, France, and the European Union on biodiversity continues to deepen, and that the technical dialogue mechanism on protected area connectivity provides an important platform for linking scientific research with policy practice.
YANG Rui, Professor at Tsinghua University and Director of the Institute for National Parks (Tsinghua University), said that connectivity research and practice should be advanced systematically across multiple dimensions, including methodological frameworks, spatial planning, climate change response, and international cooperation. He also emphasized that connectivity is itself a governance process built on collaboration among multiple actors.
During the keynote session, a number of research findings and practical case studies highlighted China’s ongoing exploration of connectivity.
WANG Pei, a researcher at the Institute for National Parks (Tsinghua University), presented preliminary findings from an assessment of connectivity in China’s protected areas. He noted that the overall level of connectivity in China’s protected areas is slightly above the global average, but shows marked spatial variation. Connectivity remains insufficient in eastern China, while related institutional mechanisms and ecological process monitoring systems still need to be strengthened.
HUANG Qiaowen, CEO of the Chinese Felid Conservation Alliance, shared a conservation case centered on the North China leopard (Panthera pardus japonensis) as a flagship species. Through corridor restoration, the construction of wildlife crossings, and community collaboration, the initiative has supported population recovery, showing that effective connectivity conservation depends on both ecological engineering and social coordination.
WANG Yun, Researcher at the China Academy of Transportation Sciences and Member of the IUCN WCPA CCSG, pointed out that transportation infrastructure has become a major driver of habitat fragmentation. He said that ecological connectivity should be incorporated into road network planning from the outset, while monitoring and evaluation during operation should also be strengthened.
During the discussion session on pathways for enhancing connectivity, participating experts engaged in in-depth exchanges. Contributors included WANG Jinzhou, Associate Research Fellow at the Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences; SU Haotong, Economist at the China Academy of Transportation Sciences; SHI Xiangying, Executive Director of the Shan Shui Conservation Center, and WEI Chunyue, Program Officer; LI Feng, Professor at Tsinghua University; CAO Yue, Associate Professor at Tsinghua University; ZHANG Zhenming, Vice Dean and Professor at the School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University; YANG Jianwei, Director of the Fuping County Forestry Bureau in Hebei Province; LI Xiang, Deputy Director of the National Park Division of the Department of Protected Area Management of the NFGA; and CHEN Qianming, Project Officer at NatureXpairs.
Drawing on their respective areas of expertise, they shared perspectives and experience on policy coordination, the impacts of transportation infrastructure, local conservation practice, research support, and international cooperation. Participants generally agreed that the main challenge facing connectivity work now lies less in methodology than in governance, especially in turning research findings into planning tools and policy mechanisms that can be used in practice.
At the regional level, effective mechanisms for cross-jurisdictional coordination remain limited, posing a major constraint on connectivity enhancement. In the infrastructure sector, ecological connectivity has yet to be fully integrated into the planning stage. In local practice, balancing conservation and development continues to involve real pressures and calls for more flexible institutional arrangements. Participants also identified long-term monitoring of ecological processes and species movement, together with stronger data support for decision-making, as important priorities for future work.
The discussion also led to broad agreement on several directions for future action. Connectivity should move beyond point-to-point links between protected areas toward the development of ecological networks on a larger scale. This should be advanced in an integrated way within the framework of territorial spatial planning and aligned early with infrastructure planning. Participants also stressed the need to strengthen cross-regional and cross-sectoral coordination, improve institutional support, and incorporate community development and socioeconomic factors into the broader framework in order to explore more sustainable ways of balancing ecological conservation and human activities. Overall, connectivity is increasingly being understood not simply as an issue of ecological structure, but as one of spatial governance involving multiple actors.
During the session on international experience sharing, the discussion further broadened the comparative perspective. The session was co-moderated by Aurélie Chane-Yook, Project Officer at NatureXpairs, and WANG Hao, a researcher at the Institute for National Parks (Tsinghua University).
ZHU Ruijia, a researcher at the Institute for National Parks (Tsinghua University), said in her keynote presentation that international practice generally treats connectivity as an important means of sustaining ecological processes, with particular importance attached to cross-scale integration and the establishment of long-term governance mechanisms.
Jordan Reeves, Co-Chair of the IUCN WCPA CCSG and Director of Landscape Connectivity at the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative, shared practical experience from the Yellowstone to Yukon region, emphasizing the importance of a large-scale vision, long-term collaborative mechanisms, and the integration of science and local knowledge.
Theo Van der Sluis, Senior Researcher at Wageningen Environmental Research, said that Europe has advanced connectivity conservation through ecological networks and institutionalized planning, underscoring the importance of linking national-level target-setting with implementation pathways.
Christian Schwoehrer, President of ASTERS / Alparcs, shared France’s experience in multi-scale planning, data support, and adaptive management, noting that these approaches have played an important role in balancing conservation and development.
The seminar concluded successfully after extensive exchange and in-depth discussion. It provided a systematic review of major topics related to connectivity assessment, local practice, and policy coordination for protected areas in China. Through dialogue among multiple stakeholders, the event helped build valuable consensus, broaden comparative perspectives, and create further opportunities for international cooperation through the sharing of global experience.
Volunteer support for the seminar was provided by the Graduate Party Branch of Landscape Architecture, School of Architecture, Tsinghua University; the Tsinghua University Student Landscape Architecture Association; and faculty members and students from the Party Branch of the Department of Landscape Architecture, School of Architecture, Tsinghua University.
Written by: TONG Jiayu, WANG Hao, LI Xialin
Photography: LIU Jing, WANG Yingqi, LIU Jia
Reviewed by: ZHAO Zhicong, CAO Yue
Editor: ZHAO Shiquan
