By You Xiaochun (Fujian Daily) -- On July 26, 2021, the themed side event titled " Synergistic Conservation of World Natural Heritage and Natural Protected Areas" as a part of the extended 44th session of the World Heritage Committee was held in Fuzhou. The side event was hosted by the National Forestry and Grassland Administration (NFGA) and co-organized by the Forestry Department of Fujian Province, the Forestry Department of Hunan Province, Chongqing Municipal Forestry Bureau, and Fuzhou Forestry Administration. More than 100 people from the Department of Natural Protected Areas Management under the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, China's National Commission for UNESCO, UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre, IUCN/WCPA, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and heritage site representatives attended the event.

Following international practices, the application, protection, and management of world natural heritage rely on the domestic protected area system of each State Party. At present, China boasts 14 world natural heritage sites and 4 mixed natural and cultural properties, with the total number ranking to the top in the world. These world natural heritage sites cover hundreds of nature reserves at all levels, including national parks (pilots), nature reserves, scenic spots, among others. Over the years, China has accumulated rich experience in the synergistic conservation of world natural heritage and natural protected areas.

At the side event, the Protection and Administration Coordinating Committee for South China Karst World Heritage Sites (PACC) and the China Danxia World Natural Heritage Professional Protection Committee shared their measures and experience in promoting the synergistic conservation of world natural heritage and natural protected areas and demonstrated the contributions to the coordinated protection and management and the results achieved by the heritage sites after their inscriptions on the World Heritage List. Experts from home and abroad have conducted in-depth discussions and raised prospects on the synergistic conservation of heritage sites and natural protected areas.