The Nansha District of Guangzhou was officially admitted into the "Cities With Nature" platform on September 8 during the 2025 Global Ocean Development Forum held in Qingdao, marking international recognition of its achievements in ecological protection and sustainable development.
(Photo provided by Nansha District Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office)
The "Cities With Nature" initiative is jointly promoted by international organizations, including ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), The Nature Conservancy (TNC), the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). It aims to help cities reexamine their relationship with nature by providing comprehensive guidelines, tools, and case studies to achieve harmonious coexistence between humans and the natural environment.
In this round, 19 cities or districts from 10 countries—including China, South Africa, Ecuador, and Türkiye—were newly admitted. Among them are eight Chinese cities or districts, such as Guangzhou City, Nansha District, and Yuexiu District. To date, more than 380 cities and regions around the world have joined the platform, including 34 from China.
(Photo provided by Publicity Department of Nansha District)
As the only coastal district in Guangzhou, Nansha has made significant strides in green development. In 2024, Nansha improved forest quality on approximately 3,893 mu (about 259.5 hectares) of land, optimized an additional 20 mu, added 3,873 mu of afforestation, built 10 kilometers of forest trails, and constructed 19.6 kilometers of greenways.
Reporter | Li Xindi
Editor | Huang Qini, James Campion, Shen He
