China’s 15 regions draw up no-development zones

China’s Environment Ministry said on Monday that 15 provinces and regions will draw up “red lines” that will put large swathes of territory off-limits to economic development. Amid fears that decades of “irrational development” have put China’s environment under heavy strain, the country devised the “ecological protection red line” scheme back in 2011. According to the plan, industrial development in wetlands, forests, national parks or protected nature zones will be banned or restricted. Last year, the government ordered all provinces and regions to implement such systems by the end of 2020, Reuters said.