Located in Jiangxi Province, in the southeastern part of the country, Poyang Lake plays a critical role in regulating floods in the Yangtze River, and is a vital ecosystem for the environment, culture, and economy. The lake supports the livelihoods of more than 45 million people living in the province, and contributes more than 15% of the Yangtze River’s annual runoff. It is also a wetland of national and global importance — providing a habitat for flora and fauna of high conservation value, including the critically endangered Siberian crane and finless porpoise.

The five-year partnership, which began in 2019, evaluates the health of Poyang Lake and develops strategies for managing and protecting it, while also supporting communities to live in harmony with nature. To guide this work, a preliminary assessment of the Poyang Lake was conducted using Conservation International’s Freshwater Health Index. This scientific tool analyzes the health of the freshwater ecosystem, and measures human uses, needs and impacts providing decisionmakers with clear, scientific guidance on how best to sustainably manage these wetlands.

Richard Jeo, Conservation International’s Asia-Pacific Field Division Senior Vice President, said “Water security and biodiversity loss are two of the most pressing challenges facing humanity and the environment. Our strategic partnership with Jiangxi Provincial Forestry Bureau and Sateri at the Poyang Lake, China’s largest freshwater Lake, demonstrates how government, corporate and communities can work together on conservation, and will go a long way towards addressing these challenges, and finding solutions that benefit both people and nature.”