According to a Chinese government assessment published this week by Reuters and Agerpres, animals pose a much greater risk of extinction in China than in other countries, in a context in which their habitats are threatened by urbanization and the expansion of human activity. to inform

In an effort to reduce environmental damage caused by rapid economic growth, China has established national parks, nature reserves, and the Red Line Ecological Scheme to protect vulnerable habitats from human activity, and 30% of the country’s land area is currently protected.

But a significant number of species remain at risk due to rapid urban expansion, destructive infrastructure development and animal exploitation, according to a study of more than 4,300 native species by 213 experts led by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment.

“The results show that the risk of extinction of vertebrates in China is much higher than the world average,” said representatives of the Chinese ministry. “Species extinction and regional extinction events have occurred in all groups of animals.”

“Human economic activity has changed the characteristics of the land … causing the loss and fragmentation of wildlife habitats and the decline or even extinction of vertebrate populations,” they added.

Almost 30% of reptile species in China are threatened with extinction

According to the Ministry of China, almost 30% of reptile species in China are threatened with extinction, which is higher than the world average (21.2%). The total number of threatened species is 137, up from the 110 threatened species considered in the previous study in 2004.

176 amphibian species have been listed as endangered, compared to 128 species, representing more than 40% of all amphibian species in China – a percentage that is also well above the global average.

Progress has also been made, especially in the case of some “charismatic” species, such as the giant panda, whose population has risen to around 1,800 individuals. In 2021, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) moved the giant panda from the endangered species category to the vulnerable category.

And the total number of threatened mammal species has dropped to 178 from 223 in 2004, China’s ministry said, and five “critically endangered” species have been downgraded to “endangered”.

However, this number still represents 26.4% of the total number of species surveyed, a higher percentage than the IUCN Red List of globally threatened mammals, which was 21.8% in 2014.