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Global Biodiversity Conservation: China’s Role And Efforts

Published

5 years ago

October 5, 2020

Editor’s note: Lu Zhi is a professor at the School of Life Sciences, Peking University. The article reflects the author’s opinions, and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

Both the IPBES’ 2019 Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services and the 5th edition of the Global Biodiversity Outlook that has just been released by the United Nations (UN) show that global biodiversity continues to decline, 75 percent of the Earth surface and 66 percent of the ocean have been changed due to human activities, and none of the 2020 targets of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) have been fully met at the global level.

On the current trajectory of human development, biodiversity and the services it provides will continue to decrease, jeopardizing the delivery of sustainable development goals. If the world goes on with “business as usual,” this trend of decline will not cease until 2050 and beyond, due to the increasing impacts of changes in land and ocean uses, resource overexploitation, climate change, pollution, and invasive species.

These issues are driven by the current unsustainable patterns of production and consumption, population growth and technological development. Declining biodiversity will affect the sustainable development of all people and all countries, and reduce the quality of human life and well-being.

A transformation is an urgent need. The UN Summit on Biodiversity on September 30 is to further discuss the 2030 targets under the framework of the CBD and feasible mechanisms to implement it, including the commitments of governments around the globe.

The percentage of the lands and oceans on Earth to be conserved by 2030 will be the focus of discussions at the UN Conference of the Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15), which is scheduled to take place in Yunnan in 2021 and conservation planning for the “Half Earth” has also been suggested.

A set of ambitious yet feasible targets and practical measures to match them, including a paradigm shift in development, will be the key. This is the consensus that has been reached.

However, the difficulty still lies in how to mainstream biodiversity, that is, to integrate biodiversity conservation into state governance and the development of all industries so that biodiversity conservation can be truly implemented throughout economic and social development. This requires the engagement and practical actions of government, enterprises, society and the public altogether.

Developing countries possess a majority of global biodiversity, so they need to assume greater responsibility for biodiversity conservation.

However, many of these countries have limited capacity on their own, so shared responsibilities and global collaborations are essential, especially the support and assistance of North and South in biodiversity conservation and sustainable development.

China is unique in its biodiversity as it is the only country out of the 12 mega biodiverse countries outside the tropics.

In recent years, China has made commendable progress in the field of biodiversity conservation, with both government investments and citizen awareness rising steadily. Valuable experiences have been accumulated in spatial planning for land use, forest protection and restoration, and species protection.

For example, policies such as the protection of natural forests and “Grain to Green” have significantly increased China’s forest area. Populations of endangered species such as the Tibetan antelope, the giant panda, the crested ibis and the snow leopard have grown substantially.

The natural reserve system as a percentage of the land area has reached over 18 percent. A series of systematic plans and policies, such as the determination of the priority functional areas, the ecological red lines and the ecological compensation mechanism for key ecological functional areas, have been attempted to address the fundamental issue of spatial balance between conservation and development, and financial incentives for conservation.

In recent years, civil society and enterprises in China have also actively participated in conservation governance in both rural and urban areas.

These knowledge and practical experiences could be China’s contribution to global biodiversity conservation and are worthy of promotion worldwide. That being said, China still faces challenges such as inadequate basic research, lack of reliable data and human capacity, regional disparities and imbalances in development and biodiversity conservation.

Besides, there is an urgent need to establish a consensus among the general public on consumption patterns and lifestyles that are healthy, eco-friendly and sustainable. The protected areas’ management system and its effectiveness also need to be improved, especially for wetlands, freshwater and marine ecosystems.

In the meantime, China, as a big country and the host of COP 15, has an important role to play in transforming global biodiversity conservation and sustainable development. It is now in the position to facilitate global dialogue and actions on better global governance and cooperation among countries, especially on the mechanisms of collaboration between North and South and learning from the experiences of the UN Climate Convention.

The speech made by Chinese President Xi Jinping showed such a willingness and determination of the Chinese government. As a biodiversity researcher and conservationist, I sincerely hope that the trend of biodiversity decline will be reversed in the near future. This is China’s responsibility, and also the responsibility of each and every one of us.

(If you want to contribute and have specific expertise, please contact us at opinions@cgtn.com.)

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Financing Health Futures: Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda Turn to Tobacco and Telecom Taxes in Big Push Against Malaria

Published

1 week ago

September 28, 2025

The Gleamer

African leaders, parliamentarians, health experts, and development partners have renewed their commitment to ending malaria by 2030, with a bold call for domestic financing through innovative taxation on tobacco, alcohol, and telecom services to close critical funding gaps.

The discussions took center stage at the Big Push Against Malaria: Harnessing Africa’s Role high-level political engagement in Abuja, where Nigeria, Ghana, and Uganda showcased new homegrown financing strategies aimed at reducing dependence on dwindling donor support.

Africa’s Heavy Burden

Malaria remains one of Africa’s deadliest diseases. In 2023, the world recorded 263 million cases and nearly 600,000 deaths, with 94% of cases and 95% of deaths occurring in Africa. Nigeria alone accounted for 26.6% of global cases and 31% of deaths, according to the World Malaria Report 2024. Children under five remain the most vulnerable, making up 76% of deaths.

Despite progress — with Nigeria cutting malaria deaths by more than half since 2000 through insecticide-treated nets, preventive treatments, and the rollout of the new R21 malaria vaccine — leaders warned that global targets are off-track. The World Health Organization’s technical strategy for malaria (2016–2030) has stalled since 2017, with Africa unlikely to meet its 2025 and 2030 milestones without urgent action.

Taxing for Health Futures

The Nigerian Parliament’s Committee on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria (ATM) announced plans to fund malaria elimination through “sin taxes” and telecom levies.

According to the House Chair on ATM, Hon. Linda Ogar, a bill is underway to restructure the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) into a multi-disease agency that will address HIV, TB, and malaria.

The new financing mechanism proposes:

Taxes on tobacco, alcohol, and other luxury items

Dedicated levies on telecom airtime and mobile money transactions

A percentage of the nation’s consolidated revenue

“These resources will provide sustainable funding to strengthen health systems and accelerate malaria elimination,” Ogar said, stressing that Africa must stop relying solely on foreign donors. “We cannot continue to take two steps forward and five steps backward. Africa must begin to show the world that we are ready to solve our problems ourselves.”

Similar models are already being piloted in Ghana and Uganda, where levies on mobile money and telecoms are being redirected to finance health interventions. The Abuja meeting urged other African countries to adopt this approach as part of a continental framework for sustainable financing.

Leaders Call for Urgent Action

Nigeria’s Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, emphasized that while malaria is preventable and treatable, it still kills hundreds of thousands yearly due to funding shortfalls, climate change, insecticide resistance, and humanitarian crises.

“To truly defeat this disease, we must rethink, join forces, and mount a concerted ‘Big Push’. Funding gaps remain a major obstacle, and innovative domestic financing is the way forward,” Salako declared.

From the civil society front, grassroots representatives pledged to act as “foot soldiers”, demanding that communities have a seat at the decision-making table. The World Health Organization, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Aliko Dangote Foundation, and other partners reaffirmed support but stressed the need for stronger political will and local ownership.

Private Sector and Global Support

Representing billionaire philanthropist Aliko Dangote, the Nigeria Malaria Council reiterated that private sector investment must complement government financing. Meanwhile, the Global Fund confirmed it has invested nearly $2 billion in Nigeria’s malaria response and committed an additional $500 million for 2024–2026, including support for local production of malaria drugs.

The Gates Foundation’s Uche Anaowu noted that while progress has slowed, malaria remains beatable:

“Smallpox is the only human disease ever eradicated. The question is — can malaria be next? I believe Africa has both the burden and the opportunity to lead the world in making that happen.”

Financing Health Futures: Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda Turn to Tobacco and Telecom Taxes in Big Push Against Malaria

Abuja, Nigeria – African leaders, parliamentarians, health experts, and development partners have renewed their commitment to ending malaria by 2030, with a bold call for domestic financing through innovative taxation on tobacco, alcohol, and telecom services to close critical funding gaps.

Africa’s Heavy Burden

Taxing for Health Futures

The Nigerian Parliament’s Committee on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria (ATM) announced plans to fund malaria elimination through “sin taxes” and telecom levies.

The new financing mechanism proposes:

Taxes on tobacco, alcohol, and other luxury items

Dedicated levies on telecom airtime and mobile money transactions

A percentage of the nation’s consolidated revenue

Leaders Call for Urgent Action

Private Sector and Global Support

The Gates Foundation’s Uche Anaowu noted that while progress has slowed, malaria remains beatable:

“Smallpox is the only human disease ever eradicated. The question is — can malaria be next? I believe Africa has both the burden and the opportunity to lead the world in making that happen.”

The Big Push: From Talk to Action

Speakers acknowledged that Africa has hosted too many malaria meetings without concrete outcomes. This time, however, leaders insisted the Abuja gathering must mark a turning point — from dependency to self-reliance.

With Nigeria, Ghana, and Uganda setting the pace on tax-based health financing, the continent now faces the challenge of replicating and scaling up these models.

“Now that Africa is at a critical point, the need for a Big Push against malaria cannot be overemphasized. If we align political will, innovative financing, and community engagement, we can end malaria within our lifetime.”

Nigeria, Ghana, and Uganda are pioneering a shift from donor dependence to domestic revenue mobilization via tobacco, alcohol, and telecom taxes — a model hailed as central to financing Africa’s health futures and ending malaria by 2030
Speakers acknowledged that Africa has hosted too many malaria meetings without concrete outcomes. This time, however, leaders insisted the Abuja gathering must mark a turning point — from dependency to self-reliance.

With Nigeria, Ghana, and Uganda setting the pace on tax-based health financing, the continent now faces the challenge of replicating and scaling up these models.

“Now that Africa is at a critical point, the need for a Big Push against malaria cannot be overemphasized. If we align political will, innovative financing, and community engagement, we can end malaria within our lifetime.”

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