China News Service, Beijing, February 2 (Reporter Chen Su) The 2nd is the 28th World Wetlands Day, and this year’s theme is “Wetlands and Human Well-being.” The reporter learned from China’s State Forestry and Grassland Administration (State Forestry and Grassland Administration) that day that China’s wetland area remained basically stable, reaching 56.35 million hectares.
Wetlands are known as the "kidneys of the earth" and "species gene banks", providing humans with multiple ecological service functions such as protecting biodiversity, carbon sequestration and emission reduction, and mitigating climate change. At the same time, they continuously provide economic, social and cultural benefits. .
The State Forestry and Grassland Administration stated that in recent years, China has strengthened wetland protection, fully implemented its obligations under the Ramsar Convention, and built more than 2,200 wetland-type natural reserves. The national wetland area has basically remained stable, reaching 56.35 million hectares. Among them, there are 82 internationally important wetlands, 58 nationally important wetlands, 903 national wetland parks, and 13 international wetland cities. It is also planned to incorporate 11 million hectares of wetlands into the national park system and implement the strictest protection and management. Wetland ecotourism and wetland nature education are booming, and a good wetland ecological environment has increasingly become a growth point for people's quality of life.
Since the implementation of the Wetland Protection Law in June 2022, China has continued to promote the construction of a legal supervision system for wetland protection, improved supporting policies and systems, and issued 8 wetland protection and restoration systems. 8 provinces have completed the formulation and revision of provincial wetland protection regulations and wetland protection institutional systems. Initially established. Comprehensively strengthen the monitoring and supervision of wetland resources, strengthen the verification and rectification of important wetland issues, and carry out special actions to investigate and rectify illegal occupation of national wetland parks.
The State Forestry and Grassland Administration stated that in the next step, it will continue to comprehensively strengthen wetland protection and restoration, implement wetland protection and restoration projects and special action plans for Spartina alterniflora prevention and control, organize the declaration of a number of internationally important wetlands and international wetland cities, and promote the monitoring and supervision system of national wetland parks. construction.
In 2023, the world's first international mangrove center will be located in Shenzhen. The State Forestry and Grassland Administration stated that it will work closely with the Convention and relevant parties through this cooperation platform to carry out dialogue and exchanges on mangrove protection and restoration, broaden international cooperation channels, and promote the protection, restoration and rational utilization of mangroves around the world. (over)