Governing Wildlife Protection in China:Policy Issues and Challenges

This study aims to develop a governing framework for wildlife protection in China. Based on the results of two detailed cases—illegal trade and natural habitat preservation, the study finds urgent needs and critical steps in... [ view full abstract ]

This study aims to develop a governing framework for wildlife protection in China. Based on the results of two detailed cases—illegal trade and natural habitat preservation, the study finds urgent needs and critical steps in legislation, collaboration, stakeholder engagement, capacity building, and consumer behavior education and management, and specifies the challenges in resource allocation, awareness enhancement, collaborative governance, and enforcement of existing policies. The study proposes a holistic approach to deal with the challenges, and points out the directions and areas for furthering a debate in a policy area that is largely ignored but critically important in the face of rapid environmental deterioration and natural resource depletion. Policy suggestions for regulatory improvements, stakeholder engagement, and implementation capacity building in wildlife protection and environmental management in China are made.