NATIONAL WETLAND CONSERVATIONACTION PLAN
(Project CN0039)
hina has more than 250,000km2 of wetlands. This
includes marshes, bogs, lakes (both natural and artificial), coastal
salt marshes, and mudflats. Several of these wetlands are internationally
recognized as important bird breeding grounds and rest stops for
migratory birds, as well as for their ecological functions such
as flood control. They also provide resources to local people.
The work by WWF has shown that, despite their importance, China's
wetlands are rapidly disappearing. Major reclamation projects
for both coastal and inland marshes, dam projects (notably the
Three Gorges), and other development projects, together with pressure
from the increasing human population, all threaten the country's
wetlands. The seriousness of the problem was highlighted in a
1992 report by the World Bank. It estimated that in ten years'
time, most of China's coastal wetlands will be destroyed if there
is no significant change in policy and approach.
The Ministry of Forestry, the National Environmental Protection
Agency, and other agencies keen on wetland conservation have realized
that the lack of a comprehensive national action plan is a major
impediment to wetland conservation in China. WWF and the Asian
Wetland Bureau are helping the Chinese government to formulate
such an action plan, in consultation with the various agencies
involved in wetland conservation and those whose activities affect
wetlands, to ensure support at all levels.
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