China’s nature-based solutions in the Global South

Evidence from Asia, Africa, and Latin America

Bibliographic Data

ID12263147
AuthorsAnnah Lake Zhu (0000-0002-0439-6677, Wageningen University & Research, corresponding author), Niklas Werner Weins (0000-0003-1345-6720, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University), Juliet N Lu (0000-0001-5355-9009, University of British Columbia), Tyler Harlan (0000-0001-5150-3554, Loyola Marymount University), Jin Qian (0000-0003-1558-8356, Wageningen University & Research), Fabiana Barbi Seleguim (0000-0003-4531-3513, Universidade de São Paulo)
Year2024
Volume86
Pages102842-102842
Publication date2024-04-13
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueGlobal Environmental Change (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0959-3780 • E-ISSN: 1872-9495
PublisherElsevier BV (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2024.102842
OpenAlexW4394789435
LanguageEN
Citations received22
References cited53

China increasingly engages in environmental diplomacy through South-South cooperation across the developing world. Since 2019, the rise of the discourse of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) within this cooperation has been exponential. Coined just over ten years ago, NbS refers to the underexplored potential of leveraging the natural world to address socio-environmental challenges. The concept finds particular resonance in China, where it demonstrates strong parallels with the domestically-pioneered concept of Ecological Civilization – the ruling paradigm when it comes to all realms of Chinese environmental governance. Building on the global discourse, NbS has been adapted to the Chinese context, creating what some call “Chinese-style” NbS that prioritizes large-scale interventions and ecological engineering over grassroots preservation. China’s NbS are not only being pursued domestically, but also increasingly abroad through the country’s Belt and Road Initiative. From Southeast and Central Asia to Africa and Latin America, this article surveys Chinese-led or financed projects that fall under the broad umbrella of NbS. We provide a comparative analysis of these interventions – or the conspicuous lack of such interventions – to show the current status and future prospects for China’s growing sphere of influence when it comes to advancing NbS in the Global South. We find that China’s embrace of this concept in environmental diplomacy is directly related to the potential for NbS to serve as a tool for helping the country’s vision of an Ecological Civilization “go global.” The consonance between the rhetoric of NbS and Ecological Civilization, combined with the global reach of NbS, provides a powerful platform for taking Chinese environmental discourse to the global level

China · Civilization · Context (archaeology · Corporate governance · Development economics · Diplomacy · Economic growth · Economics · Environmental governance · Geography · Grassroots · Latin Americans · Natural resource · Parallels · Political science · Politics · Conservation, Biodiversity, and Resource Management · Hydropower, Displacement, Environmental Impact · Law · Water Governance and Infrastructure

Tools

Open DOIOpen Access