Scientific approaches are being applied in the National Park of Tigers and Leopards in Northeast China to protect wild animals. Zhang Yan, deputy director of the research center at the park's management and protection center, recorded animal tracks, noting: 'The soil is soft, the print is fresh, and the pad is about 9 centimeters wide. This must be a female Siberian tiger.'
Hunchun, a border town in Yanbian Autonomous Prefecture in Jilin Province, Northeast China, is located in the heart of the park. Since the park was launched as a pilot project in 2017, the team at the Hunchun management and protection center has been conducting regular field patrols and scientific research to conserve fauna using evidence-based methods.
Patrolling is central to the center's work. Hundreds of patrol officers and local ecological rangers, many hired from nearby villages, monitor the forest and record the movements of wild animals. Hao Ruiping, deputy head of the center's protection department, noted that patrols help understand what is happening in the mountains and track animal routes. He added that ground checks are necessary even when infrared cameras are available.
Previously, patrols focused on detecting snares and traps, which were difficult to spot under fallen autumn leaves. However, due to increased awareness among local residents about nature conservation, the work has shifted towards maintaining infrared cameras and collecting biological samples, resulting in traps being encountered much less frequently.
Each patrol officer carries a backpack weighing about 5 kilograms, equipped with signal flares, an intercom, a air horn, infrared cameras, and other gear that Hao called a 'universal backpack.' Patrols are now conducted in groups of five people. Before setting out, they check the integrated space-air-ground monitoring system to see where animals have recently been sighted, allowing them to plan safer routes.
At the management and protection center, staff, including Duan Lianru, use this system on computers, viewing real-time video feeds from infrared cameras installed throughout the park to record tigers and leopards. This system covers the entire park, integrating digital technology and ensuring 24-hour monitoring, becoming a key source of data for tracking the movements and growth of Siberian tigers and Amur leopards.
Duan compared the process to observing a growing child, periodically photographing the same tiger to see changes. She explained that individual tigers are identified by their unique and permanent stripe patterns, although distinguishing animals with such complex markings requires careful frame-by-frame comparison. Duan also mentioned that the collected data helps researchers study the territory and diet of the animals. Previously, Duan helped warn nearby villages about the appearance of tigers or leopards near settlements.
Zhang, along with patrol officers, would find an infrared camera mounted on a tree trunk, quickly change the battery, and review the recordings on his phone. Zhang has worked in these mountains for 16 years. He transitioned from forestry to wildlife protection after China ceased commercial logging of natural forests in key state forests in the region.
Zhang emphasized that grassroots work involves utilizing local proximity, maintaining infrared cameras, measuring population density, studying diseases, and tracking the movements of tigers and leopards. During one ungulate survey, he covered a route of 8 square kilometers daily to collect data. This work has shown an increase in animal numbers, indicating the return and establishment of more wildlife in Hunchun.
Today, in the vast forest, Siberian tigers and Amur leopards live undisturbed; noble deer and Siberian roe deer are often seen, as are rare species such as the Siberian musk deer, sable, and lynx. Zhang concluded that protecting these tigers and leopards is not only about caring for the animals themselves but also for the entire ecosystem they represent. In his free time, he gives lectures in local schools, striving to inspire the next generation of conservationists, asserting that protecting Siberian tigers and Amur leopards is protecting their own home.
Sohail Madan, an ecologist who has spent over 15 years restoring nature in forests, neighborhoods, and schools, asserts that preserving nature is possible not only in reserves but also on every balcony, terrace, or backyard.
Madan recalls his childhood when it was customary to stop at gas stations during car trips to clean the windshield of insects, emphasizing how much has been lost. He notes that modern children probably will never experience such a phenomenon. For 43-year-old Sohail, this memory serves as a reminder of a time when butterflies, moths, bees, and birds were an ordinary part of life.
The expert, founder and director of the WildTales Foundation, has worked on restoring damaged landscapes and creating butterfly corridors across Delhi. His words come amid scientists' warnings about the silent disappearance of wildlife. According to the State of India's Birds 2023 report, nearly half of the assessed bird species show a long-term decline in numbers, and about 178 species are recognized as needing protection. Globally, there has been a sharp decline in insect populations, mainly caused by habitat loss and excessive use of chemicals.
Born in Africa, where his parents worked as doctors, Sohail spent his early years among wildlife. Even after his family moved to Delhi, weekend walks and visits to nearby forests maintained this interest. However, like many young Indians, he chose a career path in engineering, studying at San Jose State University in California and working in Silicon Valley. Despite the apparent perfection of this career, he felt that life consisting of coding on a computer did not suit him, and he wished to work outdoors.
The decisive moment came during a visit to a self-sufficient farm in Santa Cruz. Instead of being impressed by technology, he was drawn to simple gardening. He remembers enjoying working around a chicken coop and being close to nature. Observing children exploring the farm, he realized he wanted a life connected to nature, not to building equipment. He soon left the field of engineering. In 2010, Sohail joined the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), India's oldest natural history organization, where he worked for 13 years, becoming assistant director. In April 2023, he founded the WildTales Foundation to continue this work.
The site of Asola Bhatti, a Delhi wildlife sanctuary, transformed his understanding of conservation. Working there, he realized that restoring nature is not just about planting trees but also about restoring interconnections in nature. When these connections are broken, the entire system weakens. It was found that most nurseries offered ornamental imported species, while local plants that support insects and birds were rare. Therefore, Sohail and his colleagues created a nursery dedicated entirely to native plants, which annually produces about 10 lakh saplings for restoration projects in Delhi.
A recurring lesson was that every plant supports life. Butterflies often lay eggs only on specific native plants, and if these plants disappear, the butterflies go with them. Sohail gives the example of the Common Mormon butterfly, whose caterpillars feed on turmeric leaves; if turmeric disappears, the butterfly will not switch to an ornamental plant. Thus, replacing native plants means destroying millennia-old connections.
Sohail criticizes manicured lawns and ornamental gardens, which, although they look beautiful, rarely support life. Lawns require constant watering, mowing, and fertilization but serve only as 'green carpets.' He believes that gardens should resemble nature more closely: planting native trees, shrubs, and grasses, allowing fallen leaves to serve as compost, and abandoning the pursuit of perfect symmetry. Such gardens become alive through the return of butterflies, bees, and birds.
Turning to the issue of cities, Sohail initiated the Delhi Butterfly Corridor Project. Since Delhi's forests are surrounded by roads and buildings, hindering pollinator movement, the team decided not to create one huge park. Instead, they encouraged schools, parks, hospitals, and private homes to plant small patches of native plants that together form 'stepping stones' for butterflies to move across the city. One success of the project was achieved at a government high school in RK Puram, where students turned the campus into an outdoor learning space, leading the teacher to receive the Best Teacher award in 2022.
Madan emphasizes that helping wildlife does not require a large garden; a balcony or a few pots suffice. Firstly, chemical pesticides should be avoided, as eliminating all insects deprives birds and butterflies of food. Secondly, native plants such as turmeric, lemon, milkweed (Calotropis), and local flowering vines must be grown, as they provide food for insects. Thirdly, plants should be planted not only for butterflies but also for birds, such as native fruit-bearing plants like mulberry and guava. Fourthly, water should be left outside year-round, as it is needed by birds not only for drinking but also for bathing. Finally, the fifth tip is to allow nature to be a little messy, as fallen leaves and wild grasses serve as shelter for insects.
Despite the belief that wildlife should only exist in forests, Sohail argues against this, pointing out that Delhi is home to over 400 bird species, and Mumbai has about 70 leopards. He concludes that wildlife is already around us, and the question is whether we make room for it. Every action, whether adding a native plant to a balcony or placing a bowl of water, helps create a safe stopover for animals surviving in growing cities.
Despite the rapid growth in wind and solar energy production in Brazil, especially in the northeastern region, the country's power grid is struggling to adequately increase capacity. Last year, approximately one-fifth of the renewable energy that could have been produced was lost due to insufficient transmission line capacity and demand.
According to experts, expanding main power transmission lines and increasing investment in energy storage systems (batteries) are critically important for reducing energy losses.
The State Grid Corporation of China plays a significant role in this process. This corporation is accelerating the construction of ultra-high voltage transmission lines designed to transport renewable energy from northeastern Brazil to the industrial southeast of the country.
Uzbekistan is launching a large-scale reform of its environmental assessment system. Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 234, adopted on May 11, 2026, establishes the practical basis for implementing the revised Law on Environmental Review, which was approved a year earlier.
The main goal of this document is to simplify processes for enterprises, increase the transparency of environmental inspections, and bring national practice in line with the country's international obligations.
One of the key changes is the reduction of the number of environmental review categories from four to one. This means that thousands of small businesses whose activities have a minimal impact on the environment will no longer be required to undergo the inspection procedure. Furthermore, facilities will be classified by sectors, which is intended to eliminate ambiguities in the application of legislation that enterprises and experts previously faced.
The state process of environmental review is being fully transferred to the Unified Portal of Interactive Public Services (EPIGU), making the procedure more predictable and transparent. The resolution also enshrines legal mechanisms defining the rights and obligations of participants in the review process, procedures for collective consideration of disputed environmental conclusions, and rules for applying international instruments, including obligations arising from the Paris Agreement, the Basel Convention, and the Convention on Biological Diversity.
Another aspect of the reform focuses on public participation in decisions of environmental significance. New regulations for public hearings and public environmental reviews are designed to strengthen democratic participation while ensuring Uzbekistan fulfills its obligations under the Aarhus Convention.
The resolution establishes rules for the activities of organizations preparing project documentation, including the introduction of a rating system and the issuance of qualification certificates. Additionally, it defines requirements for organizations engaged in project development, mechanisms for assessing the effectiveness and quality of their work and project documentation, as well as qualification requirements and certification procedures for their specialists.
A separate part of the reform is dedicated to strategic environmental assessment—one of the most important tools of international environmental management. New procedures for preparing reports on strategic environmental assessment and verifying their quality aim to enhance the environmental sustainability of state programs, policy concepts, territorial planning documents, and urban development plans.
According to 2025 data, state bodies responsible for environmental review issued 49,620 environmental conclusions. Approximately 700 projects did not meet environmental requirements. The authors of the reform expect that introducing mandatory qualification certification for project developers and implementing a rating system for project organizations will improve the quality of documentation and reduce the number of projects that do not comply with environmental standards. The Cabinet of Ministers expects that integrating modern international mechanisms into the environmental assessment system will strengthen environmental protection, reduce environmental risks, and contribute to creating a healthy and safe environment for future generations.
