On October 19, the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP17) opened in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia.

[Photo via Beijing Municipal Ecology and Environment Bureau]

On October 20, Beijing held a one-day event themed "Beijing's Approach to Biodiversity Conservation in a Megacity", the first local day event at the COP17 China Pavilion. At the event, Chaoyang District presented an innovative approach that combines water quality improvement, shoreline naturalization and biodiversity restoration through integrated management of waterfront spaces, using the ecological restoration of the Liangma River as a case study.

With efforts expanding from river restoration to helping the river and city thrive together, continuous efforts have been made for the development of waterfront spaces along the Liangma River, integrating ecological conservation with urban development. Today, an 18-kilometer waterfront greenway links riverside walkways, municipal roads and park greenways, with 56 bridges across the river, creating an evergreen waterfront landscape with flowers blooming in three seasons. As waterfront spaces continue to expand, commercial activity blends with the ecological landscape, allowing residents and visitors to enjoy the benefits of waterfront development.

[Photo via Shengtai Chaoyang]

The Liangma River restoration project has also been selected as one of the Top 10 Global Outstanding Practices in the first batch of International Outstanding Practice Cases on Urban Regeneration.

(Source: Beijing Municipal Ecology and Environment Bureau)