China Focus: Experts praise China's ecological progress at Eco Forum Global
The forum dedicated to ecological civilization opened on Saturday in Guiyang, the capital of southwest China's Guizhou Province, bringing together approximately 800 participants from around the world. It features 20 sub-forums covering key topics such as sustainable development, climate change, biodiversity conservation and environmental governance.
In an interview with Xinhua, former United Nations Under-Secretary-General Erik Solheim expressed his admiration for China's "river chief" system, particularly in the eastern provinces of Zhejiang and Jiangsu. Under this system, individuals are appointed to oversee specific river sections, ensuring accountability and efficient responses to environmental violations.
"That's a system which can be implemented everywhere," Solheim said. "Many cities in the developing world could look to China for inspiration."
James Thornton, founder of non-profit environmental law organization ClientEarth and a professor at the University of Oxford, also commended China's strides in ecological governance.
Thornton first visited China in 2014 on invitation to offer advice on the country's environmental protection legislation. He has since closely followed the country's legal progress in this area. When he returned the following year, he was impressed to learn that China had appointed many environmental judges. "That was unique anywhere in the world. At the time, there were really only a few environmental judges outside China," he said.
This year, Thornton pointed to progress in the large-scale ecological restoration of the Yangtze River Basin. Once heavily polluted by rapid industrialization and urbanization, the basin is now showing promising signs of recovery. "It only took a few years, and it's already starting to work really well," he said.
Gordon Watson, chief executive of Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park in Scotland, said that he has seen China's commitment to the "30 by 30" global goal, which aims to effectively conserve and manage at least 30 percent of the world's terrestrial, inland water, marine and coastal areas by 2030.
Over the past two years, the Scottish park has been partnering with the Giant Panda National Park in southwest China's Sichuan Province to exchange knowledge on balancing conservation and human activity.
"I have seen there is a lot of expertise in China's habitat and species management, and the standards are very high," he said.
Watson said he was especially impressed by the modern technology deployed in China's national parks, such as infrared sensing technology and satellite coverage to monitor the movement of species like pandas and snow leopards. "China is leading in this area," he noted.
"China plays a vital role as an emerging global leader in eco-civilization," Hassina Mouri, president of the International Union of Geological Sciences, said at a sub-forum of the event.
"China shows a strong commitment to investing in research and promoting international collaboration in eco-civilization, and the significant progress achieved so far reflects the country's steadfast dedication and passion for the field," she added.
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Joining the discourse, Parent Action Group for Education Malaysia (PAGE) chairman Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim said many schools lack consistent practical training in critical areas such as real-time decision-making, basic first aid and rescue skills, situational adaptability, and the use of emergency communication tools. 'In emergencies, split-second decisions are vital. Many are untrained in assessing immediate threats, such as whether to evacuate or shelter in place, what to do if the primary route is blocked, and how to help a peer in distress. Noor Azimah 'Often, students and teachers also do not know how to access or use community alert systems, emergency apps, or basic two-way communication tools in crisis settings,' she said, adding that there is a gap in understanding localised risks, like how to respond differently to flash floods in urban areas versus riverine floods in rural areas. Noor Azimah suggested integrating emergency preparedness into subjects like Geography, Science and Civic Studies, linking it to climate and sustainability education. 'Regular drills involving local fire departments, civil defence, and non-governmental organisations ensure practical readiness, not just theoretical knowledge. 'Empowering students to lead safety initiatives through school clubs also fosters community ownership and peer education,' she said. She further called for mandatory pre-service and in-service training modules on disaster risk reduction in teacher training programmes, developed in partnership with national agencies like the National Disaster Management Agency. Ministry efforts In response to stakeholder calls, the Education Ministry said all principals and headmasters are reminded to take proactive measures to prevent fire incidents in schools. In a statement to StarEdu, it said the measures are outlined in Circular No. 7/2000: Fire Prevention in Schools, adding that safety inspections in schools are comprehensive and not solely focused on fire hazards. Pointing to the Safe School Programme introduced in 2002, the ministry said all schools are required to conduct self-assessment ratings on school safety. On flood mitigation efforts, the ministry said it had developed the Flood Management Guidelines for Schools to assist State Education Departments, District Education Offices and schools in taking precautionary measures should flooding occur in their respective areas. 'Beginning in 2023, the ministry implemented the MOE Preparedness Programme for the Northeast Monsoon to equip the education community for any disasters, including floods,' it added. The ministry also said provisions have been made to address disasters and emergencies such as fire-related hazards, as well as to improve dilapidated infrastructure. 'The government allocated RM1bil under Budget 2025 for the maintenance and repair of schools and educational institutions nationwide,' it said. In the news June 25 - Over 700 fire-hazard abatement (MBK) notices were issued to schools nationwide from 2024 to april this year for failing to meet fire safety standards, said JBPM. - Of the 853 schools inspected, 144 received a total of 767 notices. - Pahang topped the list with 201 notices, followed by Perak (82) and Kuala Lumpur (75). - MBKs are usually issued for issues such as faulty firefighting equipment, and absence of exit signs or emergency lighting. June 6 Malaysia is committed to strengthening school disaster resilience under the national disaster Risk Reduction Policy 2030, said deputy Prime Minister datuk Seri dr ahmad Zahid Hamidi at the 'Safe Schools' Ministerial Roundtable at the global Platform for disaster Risk Reduction in geneva, Switzerland. Key efforts include: > A disaster Risk Reduction Education Module, developed by the Education Ministry, unICEF Malaysia and the national disaster Management agency, for nearly 7,800 primary schools. > RM135mil allocated to build Permanent Relief Centres in high-risk school areas. These will serve as disaster shelters and community learning hubs. > Plans for strategic partnerships with non-governmental organisations, private firms and government-linked companies. Source: Media reports Bomba in action INVOLVE the Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) in hands-on training or demonstrations with uniformed groups such as Fire Cadets and Junior Firefighters Clubs. That is the call to schools from JBPM director-general Datuk Nor Hisham Mohammad. 'Organise regular workshops – including sessions on using fire extinguishers, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, basic rescue techniques, and evacuation procedures. 'Establish a School Emergency Response Team consisting of trained teachers, staff and students, and hold disaster awareness sessions with parents and local communities,' he added. According to Nor Hisham, JBPM has been actively involved in conducting emergency preparedness and disaster response programmes in schools across the country (see infographic). 'These are carried out in collaboration with the Education Ministry and other agencies to ensure that students and teachers are prepared to face emergency situations,' he shared. Bomba training initiatives for the young Fire Cadets or Junior Firefighters Clubs - Uniformed unit programme offered in primary and secondary schools by the Education Ministry in collaboration with JBPM - Students trained in basic fire safety, such as foot drills, hose handling and emergency procedures - Goal: Prepare students for fires and emergencies while instilling discipline Fire drill simulations - Simulate real emergency scenarios to test the preparedness of students and staff Building evacuation drills - Involve all school members in practising proper evacuation and early emergency response Source: JBPM director-general Datuk Nor Hisham Mohammad Fire statistics in Malaysian educational institutions Educational institutions classified into 10 categories: Preschools (government & private), primary schools (government & private), secondary schools (government & private), boarding schools, tahfiz schools. public institutes of higher learning (IPTA), and private institutes of higher learning (IPTS) Source: Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM)
