A Jiangsu-based program to improve the ecological protection of the Yangtze River has been recognized as one of “100+ Biodiversity Positive Practices and Actions Around the World”, released amid the fifteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP15) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), which opened in Kunming City of Yunnan Province on September 27.

Established in 2018, the One Yangtze River project is a cooperation between Huatai Securities and environmental protection organizations. Boasting rich biodiversity and mineral and water resources in its basin and stretching over 6,300 km, the Yangtze River is seen as the "mother river" of the Chinese nation. But protecting the river’s ecosystem faces daunting challenges and requires efforts from all sides.

The project is committed to protecting the biodiversity of the basin and facilitating collaboration between ecological conservation and capital markets. At the source of the river, the project has supported the Shan Shui Conservation Center to carry out species monitoring and community-based initiatives. This included establishing a conservation area of 2,000 sqm supported by local communities and actively aligning the needs for economic development and ecological conservation. In the middle and lower reaches of the river, the project has supported local organizations to protect 11 rare and endangered species, including the Yangtze finless porpoise and Baer's pochard.

The project has also launched a citizen scientist initiative that attracted the participation of over 10,000 people in cities including Shanghai, Hangzhou, Suzhou, Nanjing, Wuhan and Chengdu. Such efforts have enabled the public to experience the beauty of nature, learn science, and contribute to conservation.

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