China sets mark in wetland protection

WETLAND areas in China cover a total of 53.6 million hectares, official data showed.

The statistics were released by the National Forestry and Grassland Administration at the Eco Forum Global Annual Conference held recently in southwest Guizhou Province.

China has 57 wetlands that are of international importance, 602 wetland nature reserves and 898 national wetland parks, according to the administration.

In the country’s wetland ecosystem, there are 4,220 species of plant and 2,312 species of animals, with the wetland protection rate reaching 49 percent, figures show.

With increased policy support and financial investment, China has achieved remarkable results in wetland protection, said Li Chunliang, deputy director of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration.

According to Li, a total of 8.15 billion yuan (US$1.23 billion) of central investment was arranged from 2013 to 2017, covering more than 1,500 wetland protection and restoration projects. Around 233,333 hectares of wetland was restored, with 51,000 hectares of farmland converted into wetlands.

China will step up efforts in strengthening the protection and restoration of wetlands as the focus of ecological civilization construction, and strive to see its wetland area reach no less than 53.3 million hectares with a wetland protection rate of 50 percent by 2020, according to Li.

By 2035, the quality of China’s wetland ecosystem will be significantly improved, the official added.