China focuses on the protection of wetlands

A protection plan released by the central government on Tuesday said that China will have protected 55 percent of its wetlands and added 20 wetlands of international importance and 50 wetlands of national importance by 2025.

According to the plan issued by the National Forestry and Grassland Administration and the Ministry of Natural Resources, the country will carry out restoration projects on 30 wetlands.

Today, the national wetland protection rate exceeds 50 percent, up from 43.5 percent in 2015 and China has designated 64 wetlands of international importance, 29 wetlands of national importance, according to the administration.

A wetland refers to a natural or artificial area with stagnant water either year-round or seasonally, with significant ecological functions.

Wetlands also include coastal areas with a water depth of no more than six meters at low tide, but exclude paddy fields and expanses of water used for aquaculture and artificial breeding.