China has 2,194 nature reserves, which occupy 148 million ha., 14.8 percent of the nation's land area, according to a report released by the State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) Thursday.

"While the number of nature reserves increased rapidly, we should strengthen the work to better protect them," said an official with SEPA Thursday.

Some of the issues that need to be addressed include local governments launching polluting development projects in the nature reserves and lack of funding for the daily maintenance.

China will strengthen the supervision over setting up new projects in nature reserves, said the official. Even the state key construction projects must go through environmental assessment.

China will also increase the financial input in the nature reserves.

(Xinhua News Agency February 25, 2005)