On October 10th, the National Forestry and Grassland Administration announced that China has included wetland protection in the assessment scope of the forest chief system and the river and lake chief system. Previously, multiple national and industry standards for wetlands have been released.
In addition to incorporating wetland protection into the assessment scope of forest chief system and river and lake chief system, and formulating wetland destruction interview methods, China has achieved full coverage of satellite image interpretation of suspected issues in important wetlands. Carry out special actions to investigate and rectify illegal occupation of natural protected areas such as national wetland parks, and increase efforts to investigate and punish illegal and irregular behaviors.
In the past two years, China has issued 2 national standards and 5 industry standards for wetlands, regularly released white papers on the ecological status of internationally important wetlands in China, and established 40 wetland ecological positioning observation stations.
According to the latest survey results, the wetland area in China is about 56.35 million hectares, including mangrove forests, forest swamps, shrub swamps, etc. At present, there are 82 internationally important wetlands, 29 nationally important wetlands, 903 national wetland parks, and 13 international wetland cities in China. The national wetland protection system has been preliminarily established.
The National Forestry and Grassland Administration stated that in the next step, China will continue to implement major wetland protection and restoration projects, scientifically formulate important wetland restoration plans, and prioritize the implementation of wetland protection and restoration projects in 30 key areas.
Various measures have been taken in various regions to promote wetland protection and development
Not only at the national level, efforts are being made to strengthen the protection and restoration of wetlands, but various regions have also taken multiple measures to continuously promote wetland protection and development.
Not long ago, the artificial lake wetland in Xinhua Township, Jinsha County, Guizhou was fully completed. Following the principles of comprehensive protection, scientific restoration, rational utilization, and sustainable development, the local government strictly protects the natural landscape and biological resources of the artificial lake wetland, and maintains the integrity of the wetland ecosystem.
In the Dongtiaoxi Wetland of Cangqian Street, Yuhang District, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, reeds sway in the wind, birds fly freely, the environment is elegant, and the ecology is good.
The Manas National Wetland Park in Xinjiang is an important node in the world's migration routes for migratory birds. In order to effectively improve the ecological environment of wetlands and ensure smooth migration channels for migratory birds, local measures such as clearing reed weeds in habitats, using underground well water to widen water surfaces, and opening up water channels have been taken to restore the original natural landscape of wetlands.
In promoting wetland ecological protection and restoration, Meizhou Island in Fujian Province insists on implementing a batch of key projects such as ecological corridors and coastal wetland protective forests every year. At the same time, local forestry, power and other departments are building green photovoltaic energy supply systems to ensure that water quality is not polluted and protect wetland resources. Through unremitting efforts, the species of birds, aquatic plants, and terrestrial plants on Meizhou Island have continuously enriched, and the ecological protection and restoration have achieved significant results.
The area of mangrove forests in China has increased to 29200 hectares
Mangrove forests are a precious wetland resource. The latest statistical data from the National Forestry and Grassland Administration shows that China's mangrove forest area has increased to 29200 hectares, making it one of the few countries in the world with a net increase in mangrove forest area. It is expected that by 2025, the area of mangrove forests in China will reach 36000 hectares.