The 2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) was recently held in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. During the event, the "Zero-Carbon China Storybook" was presented at the COP29 Global News Center, showcasing several exemplary cases of zero-carbon villages, islands, and cities. Among them, Techeng Island in Xiashan District, Zhanjiang, Guangdong Province, was highlighted as a model "Zero-Carbon Island."

Located in the coastal waters of Zhanjiang, Techeng Island spans approximately 3.6 square kilometers and is home to around 4,500 permanent residents. The island is renowned for its rare, nationally protected mangrove forests, which encircle the land and create a "marine forest" of ancient mangrove trees. These mangroves are some of the most unique in the world, but over the past few decades, they have faced significant degradation, with some residents even using the trees as firewood.

In response, local villagers have taken the initiative to launch a campaign to "protect, expand, and improve mangrove forests." Over the past five years, the mangrove area on Techeng Island has increased from over 500 mu to more than 1,000 mu. Additionally, the residents have explored carbon credit trading related to the mangroves as part of their conservation efforts. For example, an environmental foundation purchased 5,880 tons of CO2 emission reductions generated by the "Zhanjiang Mangrove Afforestation Project" to offset the carbon emissions produced by the foundation's daily operations and activities.

Thanks to the joint efforts of the Xiashan District government and local residents, the mangrove area on Techeng Island continues to expand, the ecological environment is improving, and biodiversity is flourishing.

Notable initiatives include wetland protection projects, such as the construction of mangrove embankments along the outer edges of existing mangrove forests. These embankments help reduce hydrodynamic impacts, control soil erosion, protect the habitat of ancient mangrove trees, and gradually restore an environment conducive to the regeneration of mangrove species. Furthermore, ecological revetment projects have been implemented to restore natural riverbanks and construct artificial, "permeable" embankments. These efforts ensure proper water exchange between the riverbanks and the water bodies, while also providing flood control and erosion protection.

In terms of biological habitat conservation, Techeng Island has introduced artificial reef projects and bird habitat protection initiatives to safeguard and restore the wetland ecosystem's biodiversity. Water quality monitoring systems have been installed, and comprehensive environmental protection measures for the Techeng Island National Marine Park are being enhanced. A robust water quality conservation system has been established for the Zhanjiang Bay watershed to reduce pollution and sediment entering the park from surrounding areas. Additionally, Techeng Island has employed forest restoration methods, such as building protective embankments, restricting human activity in certain areas, promoting natural regeneration through artificial methods, and practicing forest stand improvement. Mangrove wetlands are being expanded in areas above sea level, further strengthening the protection of the island's mangrove ecosystem.

Source: Lingnan On the Cloud

“零碳岛屿”！湛江霞山特呈岛成为联合国气候变化大会典型案例

近日，2024年联合国气候变化大会（COP29）在阿塞拜疆首都巴库召开，《零碳中国故事》在COP29全球新闻中心发布会议，向全球介绍了零碳乡村、零碳岛屿及零碳城市的几个典型案例。其中，霞山特呈岛作为“零碳岛屿”被重点介绍。

特呈岛位于湛江市近海海域，陆地总面积约3.6平方公里，常住人口约4500人。该岛特别的地方是，环绕海岛分布有国家重点保护的红树林，是全球罕见的红树林古树群。它们将特呈岛点缀成一座“海上森林”，但过去的几十年时间里受到了不应有的破坏，甚至有居民把红树林当柴火。

近年来，村民主动发起“保护红树林，扩大红树林面积，提升红树林的质量”的行动。在过去5年时间里，特呈岛的红树林面积已经从500多亩增加至1000多亩。同时，特呈岛的居民还探索红树林碳信用的交易实践。据了解，一家企业家环保基金会购买了“湛江红树林造林项目”产生的5880吨二氧化碳减排量，用于抵消基金会日常工作和开展活动产生的碳排放。

近年来，在霞山区政府和当地居民的共同努力下，岛上红树林面积不断扩大，生态环境质量持续改善，生物多样性得到进一步提升。

比如，实施湿地保护工程，在现有红树林外缘营造红树林区护滩堤，减弱水动力影响，控制水土流失，保护红树林古树群生境并逐步恢复适宜的红树植物更新生长的环境。实施生态驳岸建设工程，恢复自然河岸或建设有自然河岸“可渗透性”的人工驳岸，充分保证河岸与河流水体之间的水分交换和调节，并具有护堤、防洪的基本功能。

此外，在生物栖息地保护与恢复方面，实施主要包括人工鱼礁工程和鸟类栖息地保护工程，保护和恢复湿地生态系统中的生物多样性。并提供区内水质监测数据和完善特呈岛国家海洋公园环境水质保护机制与措施，构建湛江湾汇水区完善的水质保育系统，减少外围进入特呈岛国家海洋公园的污染和泥沙。特呈岛还采用建设护滩堤、封育、人工促进天然更新和林分改造措施进行森林恢复，在宜林滩涂地人工营造红树林，在0米高程以上滩涂可扩大红树林湿地面积，实现红树林生态系统的保护。

文丨记者 余胜容 通讯员 郑东亮
图丨受访单位提供
翻译丨麦芯羽
审校丨邹晓华