In 2021, the government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) will host two conferences of parties (COP) for conventions of United Nations, one for Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) and the other for Convention on Wetlands (COP14). These two events are also the most important gatherings on biodiversity conservation. Hosting these COPs reflects elevated expectations from the international community of the PRC’s leadership in and greater commitment to global biodiversity conservation.
Indeed, the PRC has made great efforts to ecological restoration and conservation in recent years, making particularly significant strides in coverage and management effectiveness of protected areas. To take wetlands as an example, the number of wetlands enlisted as Wetlands of International Importance increased from 37 in 2010 to 64 in 2020. This makes for a total coverage over 7.3 million hectares (ha), accounting for 13.5% of the country’s total wetland area. These wetlands have rich biodiversity and provide critical habitats for many global rare or endangered bird species. They also carry significant benefits for climate regulation and carbon sequestration.
In coming decades, wetlands protection and management will continue to be one of main tasks in improving the PRC’s ecosystem quality and stability, according to recently released proposals for formulating the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) and the long-range objective to the year 2035.
The aim is to preserve 53.6 million ha as wetland area, of which 46.6 million ha should be for natural wetlands. However, the latest monitoring showed that natural wetlands decreased by 756,200 ha and other types of wetlands reduced by 847,000 ha (mostly in the Song-Liao Plain in the northeast and the lower reaches of the Yangtze River), although the total wetland area increased by 154,800 ha. Some 60% of this loss was caused by agricultural and urban expansion. Therefore, big challenges remain in balancing development with conservation and maintaining healthy ecosystem services and functions provided by the wetlands, particularly natural ones.
Since operations began in the PRC about 35 years ago, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has supported conservation of several of the country’s wetlands. Among them are the Yancheng coastal wetlands, which provide critical habitats for many endangered or rare bird species on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature Red List, for example red-crowned crane (40%–80% of the global population). The wetlands also support the largest global population of the milu (70%), or Pere David’s deer, an animal species extinct in the wild. After the project completion in 2018, UNESCO enlisted the Yancheng coastal wetlands as a World Heritage natural site.
One lesson learned from the Yancheng project and wetland conservation projects in other provinces was that protection of wetlands requires integrated ecosystem management, or the ecosystem approach as promoted under the Convention on Biological Diversity.
First, conservation for protected areas (or core zone) should be integrated with management in controlled areas. The core zone provides the most critical habitats and necessary interventions should be taken to maintain its core ecological functions. Alternative livelihoods for local farmers such as eco-farming, eco-fishing, and eco-tourisms are also effective to lessen conflicts between land cultivation with biodiversity conservation.
Second, engineering measures should be integrated with nature-based approaches. One of major factors causing a shrinkage of natural wetlands is large-scale land reclamation for agriculture or aquaculture. Engineering measures prove efficient in restoring wetlands in such cases.
Third, ‘hard’ facilities need to be integrated with ‘soft’ interventions. Adequate institutional capacity must ensure effective operation and maintenance of infrastructures and/or facilities. The “soft” aspects are fundamental for a better wetland management as well as greater public awareness of biodiversity conservation.
Fourth, conservation of wetlands should be recognized for their potential benefits to the climate. Wetlands are considered to be one of the biggest carbon sinks by storing 20%-30% of the global terrestrial ecosystems’ carbon. Therefore, wetland conservation can preserve carbon storage. But wetlands can also produce considerable greenhouse emissions if there is loss or degradation. A research by Texas A&M University in 2018 estimated that the coastal wetlands in the PRC carry a carbon stock of 48 million to 124 million tons carbon-dioxide equivalent (CO2e) but emit 6.8 million tons CO2e per annum in average due to extensive wetland loss. In addition, wetland restoration can increase carbon sink significantly. Both wetlands conservation and restoration have their parts in contributing to reduce carbon emissions.
Integrated wetland management also requires sound legislation, regulation, and policies. Encouragingly, most of provinces have released regulations for wetland conservation and protection. The Law of Wetland Protection is also in the process of legislation and expected to be released in 1-2 years. Implementation regulations and/or rules would also be formulated accordingly. With these legislations, wetland protection will be much likely strengthened further.
Meanwhile, international cooperation is also required for managing the wetlands along the regional flyways, for example East Asian-Australasian Flyway to share information.
There are great opportunities for the PRC to move beyond large-scale engineering projects to showcase sound wetland management. This will not just be for the benefit of the country but the rest of the world, in the preservation of biodiversity and benefits to preventing climate change.
