China Is Creating a National Park System Inspired by the US

The first of the Chinese national parks will be Sanjiangyuan in western China’s Qinghai Province, home to species listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, such as the Chinese mountain cat and the snow leopard, as well as the headwater of the Yangtze, Yellow, and Mekong rivers. To preserve the area, officials have stopped issuing permits for mining and hydropower.

The development of national parks in China is, however, raising questions about the future of those who currently inhabit and live off the land projected to be part of the system. Currently some locals have been given conservation-related jobs, such as picking up trash and monitoring poaching activities as part of the “One Family, One Ranger,” program but the exact details of a possible relocation for many are still unclear.