Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park. (Source: vcg.com)

Biodiversity conservation in the Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park has made steady progress in recent years. In the past five years alone, researchers have documented 91 new wild plant and animal species in the park. Meanwhile, the population of the flagship species, the Hainan Gibbon, has expanded to 44 individuals over seven groups, making it the only gibbon population worldwide that is still growing.

These changes reflect Hainan's broader efforts to conserve and restore its tropical rainforest ecosystems.

Over the last five years, the Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park has actively minimized human influence on its key ecological zones. This effort led to the relocation of 459 households, involving 1,975 individuals, freeing up space for rewilding. Additionally, all 25 small hydropower stations within protected core areas have been decommissioned. A total of 165.5 km² of plantations have been phased out and managed based on specific conditions, allowing formerly uniform groves to gradually regain greater ecological diversity.

At the same time, Hainan is using technologies such as satellite remote sensing and ground monitoring to develop an ecological monitoring network with high granularity. This network aims to offer a more comprehensive understanding of rainforest ecosystem changes and wildlife activity.

Rainforest conservation initiatives are now integrated with local community development. The national park, along with nearby cities and counties, is working to improve living conditions in 56 surrounding villages and is prioritizing local employment in ecological conservation roles. To date, 1,593 residents have been trained as ecological rangers within the park, and 231 more community members are involved in conservation through service procurement programs.

For the Li and Miao communities living around the rainforest, ecological conservation involves more than protecting the forest; it also creates new employment and income opportunities. By promoting ecotourism and under-forest industries, these local communities are slowly discovering new development paths that align with rainforest preservation.

From recovering a single species population to restoring forest ecosystems and increasing community participation in conservation, the Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park is exploring a path in which biodiversity conservation and community development reinforce each other.