Natural capital investments in China
Ecosystem service investments in China today are remarkable in their goals, scale, duration and innovation.

GEF/Flickr
Ecosystem service investments in China today are remarkable in their goals, scale, duration and innovation. Following severe droughts in 1997 and massive flooding in 1998, China implemented several national forestry and conservation initiatives, exceeding 100 billion used over the current decade. Targeted investments aim to secure natural capital and alleviate poverty through wealth transfer from coastal provinces to inland regions, where many ecosystem services originate. Over 120 million farmers are directly involved in programmes with the intention to reduce the loss of soil, reduce desertification and protect biodiversity and ecosystems for e.g. flood control, more productive agriculture and ecotourism.