Ecological construction and sustainable mountain development in China

Mountain areas provide essential ecosystem services and are water towers for people living in downstream. The paper elaborates the specific vulnerability contexts and situation of mountain people and their social-ecological systems, highlights the importance of mountain ecosystem goods and services for China´s sustainable development. The basic requirements of ecological modernization in China´s sustainable mountain development are hazard free and healthy and decoupling economic growth from environmental degradation. Ecological modernization requires a pursuit of win-win results for both economy and environment. In order to achieve equitable development, greater access to funding mechanisms for ecological construction is required, geared particularly towards the needs of fragile mountain social-ecological systems.