Help preserve continent's precious wild side

We must build on China's ivory ban to help boost development without detrimental environmental impacts

The recent announcement by the Chinese government of a ban on ivory trading and processing by the end of 2017 offers real optimism in the fight against elephant poaching. The decision is set to disrupt the global market for the product, as it will compel legal ivory processing industries to close down - thereby eliminating the cover under which the illicit trade flourished.

Similarly, the ban will put in place strict mechanisms for ivory collection and forbid the display of products in physical and virtual markets. With only around 415,000 elephants remaining in Africa, the step is crucial in ensuring the long-term survival of one of the continent's most iconic species.

For a long time, notable entities the world over - Interpol, the United Nations, the World Bank, the Clinton Global Initiative, the European Union and the Duke of Cambridge, among others - have tried to tackle elephant poaching. African governments have increasingly been cracking down on poachers and traffickers.

By setting a specific end date for its ivory trade, Beijing is making good on the commitment it made to the African Union and African States during the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Summit 2015, to cooperate in combating poaching and the illegal trade in wildlife.

At the summit, the governments of China and the African states committed to conserve the continent's wildlife - reflected in the 2016-2018 Action Plan proposed by the 6th Ministerial Conference in Johannesburg. They recognized need to tackle both local poaching and international organized crime, highlighting specific actions to be taken around poaching and trafficking of ivory and rhino horn.

China has significantly shifted its approach to investment in Africa, moving from one-off construction projects to a longer-term strategy of industrialization, modernization, health and security. President Xi Jinping has emphasized in many of his speeches regarding the relationship between China and Africa the need for mutual cooperation, trust and prosperity.

The importance of providing stable sources of income for impacted communities, and framing conservation priorities for the benefit of the people of Africa and China, is an important part of African investment activity. In this way China can help Africa avoid the detrimental environmental impacts that it experienced in its own rapid growth. Wildlife and wild land conservation should be regarded as an essential component of sustainable development, as highlighted in the African Union Vision 2063. China needs to extend its ongoing collaboration with African countries to conserve natural wild habitats by strengthening and expanding the continent's protected area system for wildlife. It can help boost ecosystem services, tourism, surrounding communities and contribute to a sustainable, equitable future.

China, after the ivory ban, should partner with African states in strengthening the coexistence of wildlife and human activities, with liveable cities and jobs for youth alongside large scale conservation, preventing habitat loss and fragmentation. This will require tripartite cooperation, which must include action by China and African governments, business and the public. Each of these groups must have clear guidelines and points of action to address conservation. Partnership opportunities should be identified between governments and between government and businesses.

There are strong opportunities to align Africa's sustainable development goals with China's commitment to help African industrialization and agricultural modernization. Agricultural production must be sustainably intensified and improved on existing lands to allow other lands to flourish naturally as large landscapes for conservation, wildlife and other economic development associated with wild lands for future generations.

If conservation and sustainable development are going to succeed, jobs need to be created through industrialization, so that Africa's large youth population will not depend on exploiting natural resources to achieve a better livelihood - particularly people living in and near parks and wildlife areas.

The African Wildlife Foundation has been working with African ambassadors in Beijing for more than two years to make this an important part of China-Africa diplomacy. We have convened groups of African and Chinese businesses and civil society leaders regarding the opportunities for cooperation on African conservation and development challenges. There is need for a paradigm shift in how Africa perceives, manages and benefits from her natural resources and how China views its long-term sustainable relationship with Africa. We stand ready to support China, the African Union and African States further to achieve the UN stainable development goals and the Africa Union development agenda 2063.

The author is the president of the African Wildlife Foundation

The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.