BEIJING: China has added more than 1 million hectares of wetlands since 2012 — equivalent to restoring an area the size of London every two years — bringing its total wetland area to over 56 million hectares, the National Forestry and Grassland Administration announced on Sunday, the 29th World Wetlands Day.
This achievement is part of China’s broader efforts to restore and protect its wetland ecosystems, which have seen significant improvements in their ecological conditions, with over 2,200 wetland nature reserves established nationwide.
Covering just 6 percent of the Earth’s land surface, wetlands are among the planet’s most productive ecosystems. They support 40 percent of all species, including countless plants, fish and migratory birds, while providing critical services such as water purification, flood control, and carbon storage, according to renowned wetland ecologist Max Finlayson.
China’s mangrove restoration efforts have been particularly noteworthy. Over the past five years, the country has planted over 8,800 hectares of mangroves and restored an additional 8,200 hectares, making it one of the few nations globally to achieve a net increase in mangrove coverage.
China’s mangrove area exceeds 30,000 hectares, a nearly 40 percent increase since the early 2000s, the forestry and grassland administration said. –The Daily Mail-China Daily news exchange item
