Governance of Biodiversity Conservation in China And Taiwan

gardens. A recent estimate is that the central government allocates $30 million
RMB (about US$3.7 million) annually to national-level nature reserves, which
it divides, in a competitive process, among 25–30 of the 226 national-level
areas.^38 This funding can be used for facility construction and improvement of
‘fundamental capacity’.^39 When PAs developed rapidly in the 1980s and
1990s, there were incentives for their establishment as the central government
allocated one-time-only funding for this purpose, chiefly for construction of
facilities and roads. Central government fiscal support of PAs has increased,
and in 2002 it established a National Endangered Plant and Wildlife
Construction Program, with a total budget of RMB$16.5 billion (about
US$2 billion). Program objectives include the improvement of existing PAs,
establishment of new reserves (increasing reserves in hotspot areas of Yunnan
and Sichuan from 60 to 260 in 2010), and protection and restoration of 15
species of endangered plants and animals nationwide.^40 However, the fund is
earmarked for infrastructure construction and not for improved management;
there is no separate account in the state budgeting system for PAs.^41
Infrastructure funds are probably the majority of funds spent on PAs but are
just one of three funding categories. The second category is operational funds,
paying for staff salaries, travel, daily office costs and the like. The third
category is special program funds used for purposes such as surveys of
biological resources. The central government reimburses some personnel
costs; on occasion, ministries will authorize special project funding, but
usually for national-level nature reserves. In short, the central government has
not shouldered the principal burden for operation and maintenance of PAs.^42
Most domestic funding of nature reserves comes from provincial and
county sources. Xie points out that:

‘By 1999, facility construction for national and provincial NRs in Yunnan added up

to about RMB$58 million (US$7.15 million). Personnel costs of provincial NRs are

usually included in the provincial government financial budget. Lower level NRs

usually only get very small fund support from local governments.’^43

Information on total costs of nature reserve operations in China are not
available, but it is clear that support from governments is insufficient.
Resources to fund operating costs (including paying salaries of nature reserve
personnel) are grossly inadequate for the maintenance of a PA system crossing
15 percent of China’s land area. A 2004 study reports:

‘Questionnaires returned from PAs across China indicated major funding shortages

for staff salaries and benefits, maintenance and running costs of equipment and

infrastructure, travel, compensation for animal damage to surrounding farmlands,

legal prosecutions, communications, publicity and meetings with local stake-

holders. In short, allocation of state funds for conservation is inadequate, poorly

targeted and not well-utilized or transparent.’^44

112 Governance of biodiversity conservation in China and Taiwan