Professor Fan Hangqing was interviewed by “Topics in Focus” about Mangroves
Mangroves are woody plant communities that occur in tropical and subtropical intertidal zones and can play important roles in protecting dikes and beaches, promoting sedimentation, maintaining biodiversity, sequestrating carbon and mitigating climate change, etc. They are well-known marine forests and regarded as coast guards, and important coastal ecosystems must be sustained.
On March 30-31, 2019, Topics in Focus, a CCTV’s program, placed mangroves in focus by airing its special programs entitled “How do we save mangroves” at prime time for two days. Professor Fan Hangqing, director of Guangxi Mangrove Research Center (GMRC), was interviewed by the program.
In the program, Fan Hangqing, an acknowledged mangrove expert in China with more than 30 years of mangrove research experience, expressed his views on how to addressing problems and threats of mangroves and achieving sustainable conservation of mangroves in China. The approaches being explored by GMRC for sustainable management of mangroves, such as mangrove eco-farming, construction of ecological coastal dike, and sea farming by reconverting shrimp ponds to mangroves were also introduced in the program.
In recent years, protection of mangroves in China have gained more and more attention from central and local government. In 2017, Chinese President Xi Jinping, during his visit to Beihai, emphasized that mangroves must be conserved scientifically with responsibilities implemented. Consequently, Ecological Environment and Ministry of Natural Resources have organized special mangrove survey in Guangxi, Fujian and other cities for formulation of more effective policies to improve mangrove management and conservation.
Under jurisdiction of Guangxi Academy of Sciences, GMRC has recently made remarkable progress in mangrove research with support from governments at all levels, and taken the lead in developing some innovative technologies for conserving mangroves. Fan Hangqing has been consulted frequently by decision makers with regard to mangrove conservation because he has developed some creative ideas and innovative technologies for sustainable use mangroves, which have been spread by media.
Topics in Focus is a TV news commentary founded by CCTV news commentary department on April 1, 1994, focusing on in-depth report and supervision of public opinion. Now it has become a popular TV program in China because the topics of it are common concerns of both the government and audience. No doubt, the special program about mangroves will raise public awareness on mangrove conservation.
Corresponding video connection：
By：Ding Hui
Figure 1. Professor Fan Hangqing introduced the sea farming by reconverting shrimp ponds to mangroves on CCTV ‘s Topics in Focus.
Figure 2. Professor Fan Hangqing introduced mangrove eco-farming which developed by GMRC on CCTV ‘s Topics in Focus.
Figure 3. Professor Fan Hangqing introduced construction of ecological coastal dike which design and supervise by GMRC on CCTV ‘s Topics in Focus.
Figure 4.The other screenshots
