Mid-term evaluation of “Securing Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Use in China's Dongting Lake Protected Areas”

The Dongting Wetlands is China’s second-largest freshwater lake and one of the 200 key global ecozones. Its high biodiversity serves as an important ecosystem for over 120 bird species and many endangered species. It plays an important socioeconomic role in the area as nearly 16 million people live around the lake. Despite the importance of the wetlands, the services it provides are increasingly at risk. Loss of habitat arising from sector conflicts and economic interests of local farmers and fishers has resulted in a decline in wildlife populations and in some cases entire species. FAO intervened to secure the conservation of biodiversity in the area through strengthening existing management efforts and promoting long-term sustainable development. Activities such as hunting, fishing, planting and reclamation have been stopped and most policy level outcome targets for biodiversity have been reached. The mid-term evaluation makes recommendations for the second half of the project, with a particular focus on knowledge management. It recommends a systematic approach to sharing good practices and technical support with learning facilities across the various project sites.