STORY: Agreement on establishing world's 1st international mangrove center signed in Shenzhen
SHOOTING TIME: Nov. 6 
DATELINE: Nov. 7, 2024
LENGTH: 00:01:58
LOCATION: SHENZHEN, China
CATEGORY: SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the International Mangrove Center (IMC)
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): DONG YE, Deputy Director General of the Department of Wetland Management, China's National Forestry and Grassland Administration
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (French): ANDRY FIDINIAINA MOISE RASAMOELINA, Secretary Generaln of Madagascar's Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development

STORYLINE:

An agreement on the establishment of the International Mangrove Center (IMC) was officially signed on Wednesday in the city of Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province.

Delegates from 18 contracting parties to the Ramsar Convention attended the ceremony.

The establishment of the IMC is a concrete step toward improving global environmental governance, and is expected to contribute to the United Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): DONG YE, Deputy Director General of the Department of Wetland Management, China's National Forestry and Grassland Administration
"The establishment of the International Mangrove Center is of great significance in promoting global mangrove conservation, restoration, and rational utilization, Mangroves are distributed across more than 120 countries worldwide. In recent years, various countries have actively strengthened the protection of mangroves, and the trend of decreasing mangrove areas has been initially curbed.
However, the threats posed by climate change and human activities to mangroves still exist, and the situation remains severe, urgently requiring countries to join hands in cooperation and work together. To this end, the official establishment of the International Mangrove Center marks a new stage and a new chapter for global mangrove conservation."

SOUNDBITE 2 (French): ANDRY FIDINIAINA MOISE RASAMOELINA, Secretary General of Madagascar's Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development
"We all know that mangrove ecosystems represent an essential wealth for the world, for the planet, and Madagascar is particularly pleased to collaborate and participate in the international efforts for the preservation of these ecosystems. We have high expectations, notably from this center, for the sharing of experiences and the promotion of environmental research and action. We believe that the establishment of this center can truly intensify and multiply by tenfold the current global efforts for the preservation of these ecosystems, so that they are not only preserved for future generations but also contribute to the well-being of our current communities."

Mangroves play a crucial role in purifying seawater, mitigating storm surges, maintaining biodiversity and sequestering carbon.

Today, China has a total mangrove area of 30,300 hectares, an increase of approximately 8,300 hectares compared to the beginning of the century.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Shenzhen, China.
(XHTV)