I. Location of Project

Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region

II. Objective of Planning

Build a solid ecological barrier in the northwest and ensure peace and security of the Yellow River Basin.

III. Content of Planning

Establish an ecological protection and management system with nature reserves as the core. We identified major ecological spaces and finalized conservation strategies, and, in light of the latest achievements of nature reserves and ecological red-lines, implemented the protection requirements and spatial scopes accordingly. We also identified other important ecological spaces based on dual evaluation, data from remote sensing, research on carbon peaking & neutrality, forestry planning, etc., established a three-tier management and control system for ecological red-line zones, ecological control zones and generally important ecological zones, and laid down the hierarchical protection requirements and related spatial scopes.

Place equal emphasis on natural ecology and the living environment of humanity, and construct a global ecological security pattern. To ensure the connectivity, integrity and sustainability of the ecosystem throughout Ningxia, we used the patch-corridor-matrix model to carry out ecological source identification, resistance surface analysis and ecological corridor analysis, and proposed construction plans such as forest network and water network.

The protection and improvement of wetland elements in the water system. We identified the natural channels of the water system, stated the relevant requirements and spatial control measures for the spatial improvement of the water system; we sorted out the problems of the sediment concentration and soil erosion of the Yellow River, and determined the protection scope of the Yellow River Basin; given the fact that the ecological network was blocked in the northern plains, we stepped up work in connecting the water system and restoring the wetland in the northern plains.

The protection and improvement of forest and grass elements. We identified forest areas with high degree of aggregation and promoted large-scale afforestation. We identified the main ecological blind areas and obstacles in the current ecological security pattern, and proposed targeted improvement strategies in response to patches of defect in forest and grassland. In light of the analysis results of ecological corridors, we carried out afforestation in important ecological corridor areas to fill up the gap.

Organic combination of desertification control and photovoltaic construction. Bearing in mind Ningxias goals of carbon peak and carbon neutrality and taking desertified grassland as the main candidate, we evaluated areas suitable for photovoltaic construction according to the principle of concentration and contiguous construction for scale development, and came up with a potential resource map.