Mar. 29, 2024


Beijing: Restoration of 150 Hectares of Degraded Wetlands

Beijing Successfully Demonstrates the Restoration of 150 Hectares of Degraded Wetlands

Source: Science and Technology Daily, February 10, 2011

http://green.sina.com.cn/news/roll/p/2011-02-10/092321931881.shtml

It is Chinese New Year season, in the Yi-Hui-Miao autonomous region of Weining (Guizhou province), which is also known as the "Caohai Wetlands ". The frozen ground here is thawing gradually and the waterfowl that live here during the winter are becoming active and showing vitality.

According to Green Earth Volunteers reporter Hu Lijuan, China has recently made significant progress in wetland protection. Ecological functions have been restored to a large number of degraded wetlands and a new demonstration model for sustainable wetland use is taking shape. According to statistics, $26.5 billion Yuan has been invested in wetland protection. Yao Changtian, the Chief Engineer of the State Forestry Administration, reaffirmed this statistic at the founding ceremony of the Beijing Wetland Center.

Wetlands are one of the three largest ecosystems in the world and their survival is closely tied to urban growth and development. Wetlands are natural landscapes containing rich biologically diverse resources and are one of the planet’s most important ecosystems. However, through human social and economic development, especially urban construction, land use adjustment, and agricultural land remediation, the continuing existence of wetlands has been greatly compromised.

To increase the intensity of wetland research, theResearchCenter of the ChineseAcademy of Wetlands was established in June 2004. In 2009 the Center became the Institute of the ChineseAcademy of Forestry Wetlands. During this time, wetland research has made significant progress. The Institute has established cooperative relationships with more than 10 research institutions and established 11 wetland experimental demonstrations, which total an area of more than 30,000 acres. The Institute developed 24 wetland recovery technologies, two polluted wetland purification technologies, four technical wetland regulations, four technical wetland park construction regulations, three patent applications, and six achievements of scientific and technological authentication. It also promulgated and implemented two industry standards and two local standards.

According to Zhang Shougong, the president of the Chinese Academy of Forestry, a Beijing study on key wetland restoration technologies enabled the successful restoration of 150 hectares of severely degraded wetlands as a demonstration. In Haidian, Yanqing, Shunyi and several other districts, a basis for experimental wetland demonstration, which provides key technical support for the comprehensive wetland restoration work in Beijing, has also been established.

At the same time, two new wetland management industry standards have been implemented in Beijing, laying the foundation for the formulation and implementation of related engineering and planning policy.

The Beijing Wetland Centre, which was jointly established by the Chinese Academy of Forestry and the Beijing Landscaping Bureau, will give full play to the advantages of landscaping industry management and the power of the Chinese Academy of Scientific Research. In addition the Center will create favorable conditions, and provide key technical support, for effective wetland protection and the scientific recovery and rational utilization of wetlands inBeijing.

Nanhaizi Wetland, Beijing

Translator: Mi Yu

Proofreader: Annie Geratowski/Karen Marshall

 




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