China Environment News

June 15, 2026

China tops world rankings for natural heritage conservation, says International Union for Conservation of Nature

According to assessments by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), 90 percent of China’s heritage sites received excellent or good overall ratings, significantly above the global average of 61 percent and the Asian average of 68 percent.

China has strengthened the scientific, systematic and holistic protection of its world natural heritage, with notable improvements in conservation conditions, the National Forestry and Grassland Administration said Saturday, which marks this year’s Cultural and Natural Heritage Day (which actually runs from June 13 to June 30, 2026) .

China is now home to 15 world natural heritage sites and four heritage sites noted for both cultural and natural features, leading the world in terms of quantity. The sites cover a total area of more than 80,000 square kilometers across 20 provincial-level regions, which take in diverse ecosystems, including mountains, forests, wetlands, deserts and coastlines.

In recent years, China has intensified conservation efforts through a protected area system centered on national parks. More than 80 percent of the heritage sites have undergone nature-based restoration, effectively preserving the authenticity and integrity of their ecosystems, according to the administration.

At the same time, the country has expanded channels to benefit its people and develop green industries such as ecotourism, nature-based study tours and under-forest economy.

World natural heritage sites will be incorporated into the monitoring framework of protected areas and benefit from coordinated protection and development efforts alongside these areas.

In addition to enacting the National Park Law, the country has revised regulations on nature reserves and scenic areas, and issued management rules for national-level nature parks and natural World Heritage sites.

The National Forestry and Grassland Administration highlighted a series of measures taken to strengthen heritage protection, including the development of a comprehensive legal framework built around a National Park system

The administration said near-natural restoration has been carried out at more than 80 percent of the heritage sites, effectively enhancing the integrity of local ecosystems.