The People's Republic of China is rich in cultural and natural diversity. and is listed by biologists as a ‘megadiversity country'. Since 1950, when China embraced modernity, the forests have been indiscriminately felled reducing forest cover. This has threatened biodiversity, causing drastic declines of mammal and bird counts, recurrent flooding and erosion, and recurrent snow disasters. These not only threaten global climate, but undermine the livelihood of the local people and great loss of life and damage downstream. In South West China the government has promoted ambitious plans for forest conservation and reforestation, culminating in a felling ban and the closure of grazing lands. This Comment draws attention to the new environmental activism emerging in the country and discusses prospects for successful implementation of the new policies.
