The United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development covers 17 goals, the sixth of which is "Clean Water and Sanitation", namely: Ensure access to water and sanitation for all.  (Click here for details)

Under this major goal, there are eight targets, the sixth of which is “By 2020, protect and restore water-related ecosystems, including mountains, forests, wetlands, rivers, aquifers and lakes”.

● Current Situation

About the World

Major Fresh Water Resources - Wetlands

Wetlands are the "Kidney of the Earth" and an important part of water resources conservation. It is one of the three major ecosystems of the earth, along with the ocean and forest. Wetlands play an important role in water storage, regulation of river runoff, recharge of groundwater, improvment of water quality and maintenance of regional water cycle. 

Photo source:baidu.com

Countries around the world are increasingly aware of the important contrbution of wetlands to the maintenance of global fresh water reserves and resources. Wetland resources are conserved and restored by establising nature reserves, strengthening wetland science education, developing eco-tourism and other green industries.

Text source: thepaper.cn

About China

Wetlands Conservation Law 

The total area of wetlands in China (not including Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan) is 53.4206 million hectares, accounting for 5.56% of the total land area. It maintains about 2.7 trillion tons of fresh water and reserves 96% of the available fresh water resources. Peat stored in wetlands also plays an important role in coping with climate change. 

Photo source:sohu.com

On 20 January 2021, the Draft of Wetland Conservation Law was first sumitted to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress for deliberation In order to strengthen the conservation and restoration of wetlands. It was the first time for China to legislate on wetland conservation. 

The Draft stipulates wetland management, conservation, restoration, inspection and supervision, legal liability and etc. Starting from the integrity and systematicness of wetland ecosystem, we should establish a complete legal system of wetland protection, so as to make wetland conservation legal.

Text source: People's Daily

●  Cases

About the World

Wetlands Conservation in the Great Lakes of Canada

In order to protect wetland resources effectively, Canada promulgated federal wetlands conservation policy in 1992, which was an early country for wetland restoration and construction. The wetlands ecological restoration and construction in Canada mainly includes the following five aspects: river reconstruction, restoration of degraded wetlands,rebuild new wetland, building islands and sandboxes, restoration of wetlands vegetation.

Photo source: sohu.com

The Great Lakes are the largest freshwater lake and freshwater fishery on the earth, with a water storage capacity of 220trillion cubic meters, accounting for 21% of the surface fresh water. The Canadian government, and he United States government worked together jointly for implementing pollution prevention and control strategies and public education plans, and protected wetlands by monitoring the state of lake system, evaluating the degree of chemical toxicity hazards and taking measures to reduce the hazards.

Text source: shidicn.com

Hackensack Wetlands Conservation and Restoration

Located in the hilly valley of New Jersey, the Hackensack wetlands reserve is the busiest area for road and rail transportation. Due to the close proximity to New York State, dense factories, industrial pollution, the decline of wetland water level, serious water pollution, invasion of alien organisms and other problems, the area of Hackensack wetland was facing a sharp decline.

Photo source:baidu.com

The local government set up a large area of wetlands permanent reserve to adjust the flood storage capacity, improve the ecological mechanism of wetland, and adjust the industrial types in the region, refuse the rampant of high pollution industries, and build an industrial structure suitable for the local sustainable development, so as to effectively protect and restore the Hackensack wetlands.

Text source: huanbao.bjx.com.cn

About China

Shenzhen Bay Wetlands Restoration

Shenzhen Bay Wetland has a mangrove wetland system in the hinterland. The Shenzhen municipal government has launched a series of coastal mangrove wetland restoration actions in the coastal area of Shenzhen Bay, using nature based solutions to conserve and restore the ecological functions of the wetland system through mangrove wetland protection, sustainable management, and replanting mangrove forests.

Photo source: biying.com

The Shenzhen municipal government has strengthened the conservation of marine ecological environment, built a sewage treatment plant, improved the rainwater and sewage diversion pipe network system, strictly controlled land-based pollution, and implemented a series of "pilot projects" for pollution control. As a result, the comprehensive pollution index of marine water body has decreased by 32.5%, biodiversity has increased, carbon sink and climate regulation have been enhanced. Shenzhen Bay area brings about the harmonious coexistence of human and nature.

Text source: thepaper.cn

Xixi Wetlands in West Lake 

Xixi wetlands are located in the West Lake Basin of Hangzhou, covering an area of 12 square kilometers. Like other wetlands, Xixi wetland is also facing the dilemma of rapid shrinking due to the development of industrialization and urban construction.

Photo source:shidicn.com

The treatment of water system is an important step in the reconstruction of wetland ecological community. In the process of reconstruction, Xixi wetland is based on the original water body, while the residential areas are connected with each other in the form of groups. In each group, all kinds of constructed wetlands and the original water system are connected with each other, forming the whole wetland environment an overall water cycle, and equipped with native wetland plants with the self purification of wetland.

Text source: huanbao.bjx.com.cn

●  Background

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Initiated by the United Nations

On 1 January, 2016, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including 169 targets, of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development — adopted by world leaders in September 2015 at an historic UN Summit — officially came into force. Countries will mobilize efforts to end all forms of poverty, fight inequalities and tackle climate change, while ensuring that no one is left behind.