February 2nd is the 28th World Wetlands Day, with the theme "Wetlands and Human Well-Being". According to the latest release from the State Forestry and Grassland Administration, my country adheres to priority protection and systematic management, and the overall wetland area remains stable. As of now, China's wetland area reaches 56.35 million hectares, ranking first in Asia and fourth in the world.
What achievements has my country made in wetland protection so far? In addition to providing water resources and protecting biodiversity, what other economic, social and cultural benefits do wetlands provide? In recent years, various places have taken many measures to protect wetlands. How do you view these measures? What else can we do to protect wetlands?
my country’s wetland area: first in Asia and fourth in the world
As of now, China's wetland area reaches 56.35 million hectares, ranking first in Asia and fourth in the world. my country has designated 82 wetlands of international importance, recognized 58 wetlands of national importance, certified 13 international wetland cities, and established 903 national wetland parks. In the ten years since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, my country has implemented more than 3,400 wetland protection projects, added and restored more than 800,000 hectares of wetlands, and compensated more than 1 million hectares of crops lost to birds.
In 2020, the Ministry of Natural Resources and the National Forestry and Grassland Administration jointly issued the "Special Action Plan for Mangrove Protection and Restoration (2020-2025)" to guide various regions in the construction and restoration of mangroves. The latest assessment results show that a total of 4,656 hectares of mangroves have been created and 4,752 hectares of mangroves have been restored, achieving the goal of more than half the time and half the task. In 2023, the State Forestry and Grassland Administration issued 3 national standards such as the "Specifications for the Protection and Management of Small Wetlands" and 5 industry standards such as the "Technical Regulations for Wetland Ecological Restoration" to provide scientific and technological support for wetland protection and restoration.
Why is protecting wetlands so important to human well-being?
The theme of this year's World Wetlands Day is "Wetlands and Human Well-Being", emphasizing that human well-being is closely linked to the health of the world's wetlands. Why is protecting wetlands so important to our well-being?
Wetlands, forests and oceans are known as the three major ecosystems in the world. According to the United Nations official website, although wetlands only account for about 6% of the earth's land surface, 40% of plant and animal species live or breed in wetlands. In addition, wetlands can absorb carbon dioxide, help slow down global warming and reduce pollution, so they have gained the reputation of "Kidney of the Earth". Wetlands also help buffer impacts such as floods, droughts, hurricanes and tsunamis.
Wetlands benefit human beings and provide win-win economic, social and cultural benefits.
In addition to ecological service functions, what other economic, social and cultural benefits do wetlands provide to humans?
The mangrove area in Zhanjiang City, Guangdong Province is about 6,400 hectares, accounting for 23.7% of the country's mangrove area. It is the largest and most concentrated mangrove nature reserve in my country. As an important type of wetland, mangroves create a good biodiversity environment. They not only serve as wind and wave shelters for fishery production, but also provide rich natural feed for oyster farming.
Chen Zhiwen, an oyster farmer in Zhanjiang City, Guangdong Province:
It’s Zhanjiang oysters that grow such good oysters. These two bunches of oysters weigh about 20 kilograms.
The Dafeng Elk National Nature Reserve in Jiangsu Province, located in the Yellow Sea Wetland, has the largest elk population in the world. The Dafeng Elk Museum built here displays the results of elk protection and spreads the culture of wetland protection.
In the past two days, Dafeng Elk Museum has welcomed a group of young volunteers for wetland protection. As soon as they entered the museum, an arch made of deer antlers immediately caught the children's attention. The commentator told everyone that every winter male elk shed their antlers and grow antler, and this antler gate is composed of these antlers.
The museum uses sound and light technology to answer questions for children. Through diversified scenes and creative interactive methods, it allows children to have an in-depth understanding of elk culture through entertainment and education.
Ding Yuchan
, a teacher at Renmin Road Primary School in Dafeng District, Yancheng City, Jiangsu Province
:
We just want to use this entertaining form to let children understand the importance of protecting wetlands, so that they can form a consciousness of protecting the ecological environment during the intuitive visit. Concept, influence and drive people around you to cherish and protect wetlands.
About 35% of the world’s wetlands have disappeared
Wetlands are closely linked to our well-being. Due to human activities and other factors, wetlands are disappearing at a rate three times that of forests. Since 1970, about 35% of the world's wetlands have been lost. Human activities that contribute to wetland loss include drainage and filling for agriculture and construction, pollution, overfishing and overexploitation of resources, invasive species and climate change, making wetland protection particularly important.
Strengthen wetland protection and restoration to improve wetland ecosystem functions
In recent years, relevant departments have introduced some measures to protect wetlands. This year, our country will continue to strengthen wetland protection and restoration, and adopt a variety of measures based on local conditions to continuously improve the functions of wetland ecosystems.
In the past few days, a comprehensive water environment management project with an investment of 890 million yuan is underway in Anyue County, Sichuan. This project will further purify and improve the quality of wetlands such as Yanxi Lake by constructing sewage pipe networks, rainwater discharge outlets, lake ecological detention areas and other facilities.
Liu Qin
, Director of the Anyue Ecological Environment Bureau of Ziyang City, Sichuan Province
:
We also plant ecological restoration plants such as verbena, copper money grass, and yellow calamus, establish a four-level "river chief system" in cities, counties, and villages, and recruit environmental volunteers from all walks of life to serve as Supervisors of ecological and environmental protection practices take multiple measures to continuously improve the quality of the water environment and wetland water quality.
The Yeya Lake Wetland, located at the foot of the Great Wall, will be officially included in the "List of Wetlands of International Importance" in 2023. It is the only wetland of international importance in Beijing. This year, more than 10 wetland protection and restoration projects will be implemented here, including the "Beijing Wild Duck Lake Internationally Important Wetland Protection and Restoration" and the "Wild Duck Lake Reserve 2024 Bird Food Source Planting".
Wang Xiaoxu, Director of the Nature Reserve Management Office of Yanqing District, Beijing:
This year, Yeya Lake Wetland will explore and innovate around wetland restoration, popular science education, bird watching economy, research economy, etc., to build Yeya Lake into the largest area in Beijing, with the most types of wetlands and biodiversity The richest wetland ecosystem.
This year, the State Forestry and Grassland Administration will continue to comprehensively strengthen wetland protection and restoration, coordinate the distribution characteristics and protection status of wetlands across the country, focus on comprehensive remediation and systematic restoration of wetlands with severely degraded ecological functions, and prioritize the implementation of wetland protection and restoration projects in 30 key areas. At the same time, special rectification actions were carried out to deal with wetland damage, a mechanism for collaboration and information reporting among wetland protection departments was established, management measures for nationally important wetlands were formulated, and the International Mangrove Center was officially established in Shenzhen.
Wetlands were protected and revegetated, and the number of birds increased.
Various localities have taken multiple measures to actively protect and restore wetlands. In recent years, vegetation has been recovering and the number of birds has increased.
As the temperature drops, more than 100,000 winter migratory birds come to the Micha Lake Wetland Reserve in Hanchuan, Hubei to spend the winter. White cranes, Oriental white storks and other water birds gather in different areas such as shallow water, remnant depths, and tidal flats according to their feeding and living habits. They lie quietly on the lake, fly low, forage and play. A unique ecological landscape is formed.
In recent years, the local area has connected the water system by returning land to lakes and removing ridges from ponds. At present, the entire wetland park has a water area of more than 73,000 acres, and more than 70 species of water birds inhabit and feed here.
Liu Bin, deputy director of the Micha Lake Breeding Farm in Hanchuan:
There is a full-time patrol team guarding them 24 hours a day to strictly prevent incidents that harm birds from happening in the ecological reserve.
The coastal zone of Sichuan Water Bay in Dongtai, Jiangsu Province is located within the Yellow and Bohai Sea migratory bird habitat protection range, covering an area of 19,000 acres. The ecosystem was once severely degraded. In 2022, various measures such as "wetland hydrology and water system restoration" and "wetland vegetation restoration" will be adopted here to explore new models for coastal wetland protection and sustainable development. The Spring Festival is approaching, and a large number of winter migratory birds are spending the winter in the Chuanshui Bay coastal wetland, becoming the first residents of this newly restored wetland.
Ecological photographer Li Dongming:
I didn’t expect to have such a good environment and so many birds coming here. When I went to see them in the morning, I saw more than 80 Oriental White Storks, setting a new record for birds here.
Wetland protection: What results? How to proceed?
my country's wetland protection has achieved certain results. How should we view the current wetland protection measures in various places? What else can we do to protect wetlands?
Jia Ruoxiang, director of the Comprehensive Research Office of the Institute of Land and Regions of the China Academy of Macroeconomics:
Wetlands are an important ecological system in China and play a very important role in China's ecological protection. Through systematic management, the wetland ecosystem has been greatly restored.
Wetlands are also an important gene bank for my country's biodiversity, a paradise for birds and a home for various creatures. Through ecological protection, the biodiversity of wetlands has also been greatly restored. At the same time, wetlands are also important "carbon storage reservoirs" in my country. By adapting measures to local conditions and taking multiple measures, my country's wetland ecosystem has been greatly restored, and wetland ecological functions have been continuously improved. These measures are very targeted and effective.
To promote wetland protection, on the one hand, measures must be taken according to local conditions. my country's wetlands cover a very large area and are widely distributed. Wetland protection must be based on local conditions. Only by focusing on the main problems in the wetland protection process and implementing targeted policies can the ecological functions of the wetlands be better restored.
On the other hand, we must follow the laws of nature to restore wetlands. In the process of restoring wetlands, the natural laws of different wetland protections must be followed so that the wetland ecosystem can function. When promoting wetland protection, wetlands mainly assume the functions of conserving water sources, improving the environment, and maintaining biological diversity. At the same time, on the premise of protecting wetlands, wetlands can be used scientifically and rationally to maximize the social and economic value of wetlands. (CCTV News Client)