"Economic Daily" | Wan Jun: Key Measures to Enhance the Modernization Level of Ecological Environment Governance

 

The recently issued "Opinions on Strengthening the Zoning Management of Ecological Environment" (hereinafter referred to as the "Opinions") provide clear arrangements for constructing a zoning management system for the ecological environment and implementing precise control by region. This is a key measure to further improve the source prevention system of the ecological environment, optimize the development and protection pattern of territorial space, and enhance the modernization level of ecological environment governance. The zoning management of the ecological environment is closely related to territorial spatial planning, maintaining consistency in aspects such as the basic base map, ecological protection red lines, and statutory protected areas. However, there are also significant differences in management objects, scales, and methods. Therefore, the "Opinions" propose that in the process of formulating zoning management plans for the ecological environment, delineating units, sharing information, and updating adjustments, there should be full coordination with territorial spatial planning to exert joint efforts. This will ensure high-level protection of the ecological environment and continuously promote the optimization of the development and protection pattern of territorial space.

 

 

Territorial space is an important carrier for the construction of ecological civilization, and optimizing the development and protection pattern of territorial space is a crucial task in building an ecological civilization. Territorial spatial planning and ecological environment zoning control are important means to optimize the development and protection pattern of territorial space. The "Opinions on Comprehensively Promoting the Construction of a Beautiful China" take "optimizing the development and protection pattern of territorial space" as the primary task of "accelerating the green transformation of development methods," proposing to improve the subject function area system and perfect the territorial spatial planning system, and coordinate the optimization of agricultural, ecological, urban, and other types of spatial layouts. It also proposes "perfecting the comprehensively covered ecological environment zoning control system, to develop 'clear bottom lines' and 'draw boundaries'," which is an important means of optimizing the development and protection pattern of territorial space.

 

Territorial spatial planning needs to clarify the development and protection patterns of agriculture, ecology, and urban areas from a spatial layout perspective, as well as the permanent basic farmland, ecological protection red line, and urban development boundaries. Ecological environment zoning control needs to delineate ecological environment control units, implement the bottom-line requirements of ecological protection red lines, and formulate ecological environment access lists, which are important links in the source prevention system of ecological environment protection. Both territorial spatial planning and ecological environment zoning control are important components of the ecological civilization system, and in their respective fields, they adhere to the thinking of bottom lines and systems, implement national ecological security, regional coordinated development, and subject function area strategies, strengthen spatial zoning management, and implement systematic, comprehensive, and source governance to jointly ensure safety and promote development.

 

Ecological environment zoning control is fully connected with territorial spatial planning. The two are consistent in the basic maps of the ecological environment, including the coordinate system of the base map, administrative divisions, mountain and river systems, natural resource elements, ecological environment conditions, various types of legally established protected areas and control area boundaries, etc., fully connected and consistent, formulating zoning control plans on a single base map. In terms of ecological protection red lines, a unified red line for ecological protection is strictly observed. In terms of spatial scope involving farmland protection, industrial parks, urban development boundaries, etc., ecological environment zoning control fully connects with the requirements of territorial spatial planning.

 

 

In terms of system positioning and goals, the "Opinions" propose that ecological environment zoning control is an environmental management system that aims to protect ecological functions and improve environmental quality, implementing differentiated and precise control by region, and is an important measure to enhance the modernization level of ecological environment governance. At the same time, it is proposed to play a fundamental role of ecological environment zoning control in the source prevention system. Territorial spatial planning focuses on land use control, aiming to clarify the spatial and temporal arrangements of territorial space development and protection in a certain area, while ecological environment zoning control focuses on the zoning management of environmental behaviors such as ecological environment quality and pollutant emissions in space, aiming to clarify the management requirements of the ecological environment in each watershed, region, and unit, and improve the chain of the source prevention system of the ecological environment. The two work together, which is conducive to promoting the formation of a spatial pattern, industrial structure, production method, and lifestyle that save resources and protect the environment.

 

In terms of control objects and models, the "Opinions" propose that in implementing ecological environment zoning control, it is necessary to strictly observe the ecological protection red line, environmental quality bottom line, and resource utilization upper limit, and scientifically guide various development and protection construction activities. The objects of territorial spatial planning control are land use and development and construction intensity, while ecological environment zoning control focuses on the improvement of regional watershed environmental quality and the enhancement of ecological functions, targeting behaviors that affect ecology and emit pollution, focusing on the good (priority protection) and bad (key control) ends, carrying out preventive and control management, scientifically delineating areas that should be protected, firmly guarding the natural ecological security boundary, identifying areas where development and protection conflicts are prominent, and guarding the bottom line of ecological environment quality, thus achieving the regulation and guidance of various development and protection construction behaviors.

 

In terms of spatial units and scales, the "Opinions" propose that based on the regional characteristics of the ecological environment structure, function, quality, etc., through environmental evaluation, three types of control units are delineated on the basis of the management zoning of various ecological environment elements: priority, key, and general. The ecological environment control units are based on environmental attributes (such as atmospheric control units based on kilometer grids, water environment control units based on river basins, etc.), fully reflecting the mobility of pollutants, management needs and management foundations, and are appropriately coarse or fine. At present, the national ecological environment zoning control plan, the scale of each control unit is about 10 square kilometers to 500 square kilometers, which can better support the needs of differentiated and refined management of the ecological environment. The scale of territorial spatial planning zoning is refined through the planning system, and finally falls on the plot and land, with control scales in acres and hectares, much smaller than the ecological environment control units.

 

 

In the next step, during the implementation process of the ecological environment zoning control system, it is necessary to implement the relevant requirements of the "Opinions," and continuously explore and improve the institutional connection path between ecological environment zoning control and territorial spatial planning, according to the idea of "full connection, focus on respective priorities, collaborative effort, and step-by-step advancement," to enhance the effectiveness of ecological environment governance.

 

Deepen top-level design and strengthen institutional connections. Implement the relevant legal and policy requirements of the Yangtze River Protection Law, Yellow River Protection Law, etc., guide localities to fully connect with territorial spatial planning in aspects such as the formulation of ecological environment zoning control plans, unit delineation, list compilation, and information sharing. Actively promote the inclusion of institutional connection requirements into the formulation and revision of relevant laws and regulations on territorial spatial planning and ecological environment protection. The ecological environment department, in conjunction with the natural resources department, will deepen and refine the connection requirements in their respective management system and standard specification system, jointly conduct related research and pilot work, accumulate experience, improve mechanisms, and form a policy synergy.

 

Promote sharing and common use, and strengthen the connection of results. During the formulation process of the ecological environment zoning control plan, ensure the connection of basic data, zoning plans with territorial spatial planning zones, control requirements with use control, and share a set of ecological protection red line results using a unified national basic geographic information map. Establish a normalized mechanism for sharing results, ensure smooth channels for platform interconnection, guarantee timely access to relevant data and materials, and improve the accuracy and timeliness of connection work. In the dynamic updating and regular adjustment of zoning control plans, ensure dynamic connection with the "three zones and three lines" results.

 

Coordinate policies and strengthen application connections. Establish a collaborative working mechanism, rely on digital platforms at all levels, focus on supporting major strategy formulation, major policy making, major planning compilation, and major project implementation, and construct a facilitative working environment through methods such as setting up parallel approval interfaces on platforms, mutual opening of usage rights, and sharing intelligent analysis application module functions. Focus on the characteristics of development, protection, and construction activities in different regions, implement differentiated ecological environment management by unit, promote effective linkage at the system implementation level, and encourage collaborative effort.

 

Consolidate the work foundation and strengthen work guarantees. Strengthen organizational guarantees and capacity building, make full use of related technical exchange platforms, enhance exchanges and discussions, conduct major research projects around the connection of theory, technology, management, and application of the two systems, continuously explore new paths and models for connection, strengthen guidance and training for grassroots work, enhance the technical capabilities of grassroots management institutions, and standardize the connection work across various regions.