9 April 2015 – APFNet officially launched the project: “Rehabilitation and Management of Degraded Forests in Beijing’s Miyun Reservoir Watershed” during a tree-planting ceremony at the Miyun Reservoir Watershed near Beijing. Eleven members of the APFNet Board of Directors joined Chairperson Zhao Shucong in inaugurating the project.

The project aims to address the long-standing water supply challenges in the capital by tackling forest degradation and enhancing the strategic use of forest resources in source-water protection areas of the Miyun Reservoir Watershed. The Beijing Forestry Society (BFS) will implement the project with supervision from the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Forestry and Parks (BMBFP).

While Beijing has significantly upscaled the integration of international good practices and technology in urban water management, these developments have not been able to match the rapid increase of urban population and pressure on water supply. BFS Project Director Mr. Li Hao stated, “The Miyun Reservoir Watershed provides over 60% of Beijing’s surface drinking water. Since forests account for 70% of the total watershed area, they are an irreplaceable source of water protection for the city.”

This project will develop three demonstration sites across 280 hectares of degraded forestland, raise forest management awareness and knowledge amongst local communities, and implement sustainable community development initiatives to improve local livelihoods.

The project launch ceremony and tree planting took place during a field trip to Shicheng village in the outskirts of Beijing, as part of the first meeting of the APFNet Board of Directors held on 8 April.