Observation: How Yunnan inspires global wetlands conservation

Tourists before Whale Island of Dianchi Lake in Kunming, Yunnan province. (photo by Yang Zheng, Yunnan Daily)

1. What's World Wetlands Day?

Since 1997, the World Wetlands Day has been celebrated annually on February 2. Its primary goal is to highlight the significance of global wetlands protection and increase people’s understanding of these vital ecosystems.

This year's poster

"It’s Time for Wetlands Restoration." The 27th World Wetlands Day of this year pays a specific attention to the crisis of degradation, and calls for an urgent need to prioritize wetlands restoration worldwide.

Dr. Musonda Mumba (picture from Rasmar website)

Dr. Musonda Mumba, the Secretary General of Convention on Wetlands, recently pointed out in a message that 40% of plant and animal species on earth live or breed in wetlands, but nearly 90% of wetlands have been degraded or lost throughout history. She, therefore, encourages not only the governments but individuals around the globe to help restore wetlands by minimizing human impact, and actively engaging in relevant projects.

2. What has Yunnan done?

China owns about 4% of the world's wetlands. Since joining the International Convention of Wetlands in 1992, the country has made great progress in conserving and restoring its wetlands, and this has been acknowledged by the international community.

 
World Wetlands Day 2023 celebrated in Hangzhou (photo by Xinhua) 

Known as China’s “Kingdom of Fauna and Flora”, Yunnan has long been considered a key in China’s wetlands protection. According to the 3rd National Land Survey which was finished in the end of 2019, Yunnan has 39,800 hectares of wetlands, and it is home to 70% of the bird species inhabiting in swamps and wetlands nationwide.

What has Yunnan done on wetlands conservation throughout years? And how can Yunnan’s experience inspire people to conduct wetlands restoration in a better way?

Jianhu Wetland in Jianchuan, Dali (photo by Yang Zheng ,Yunnan Daily)

To date, Yunnan has 5 wetlands of international importance, 31 provincially significant wetlands, and 19 wetlands parks in total. By creating such spaces for plants, animals as well people's leisure activities, these wetlands have genuinely contributed to the improvement of local ecological conditions and everyone’s life.

Meanwhile, the Yunnan Province Wetland Protection Regulation has provided a strong legislative guarantee for wetlands conservation and restoration since its implementation in 2014.

National Plateau Wetlands Research Center (photo from its website)

It’s worth mentioning that scientific research always plays a pivotal role in the promotion of wetlands protection in Yunnan. “Since its establishment in 2007, National Plateau Wetlands Research Center in Yunnan’s Kunming has become a major base to monitor wetlands and carefully study these ecosystems,” says Tian Kun, the deputy director of this center and a professor from Southwest Forestry University.

Wetland in southern bank of Dianchi Lake, Kunming (photo by Hu Yuya, Yunnan Daily)

According to him, a college focusing on wetland studies has also been set up to strengthen Yunnan’s academic capabilities in this field. Currently, over 50 students are enrolled in this college.

3. How can Yunnan inspire the world?

In Yunnan, however, wetland conservation is never just a matter of the government and scientific institutions. In the past few years, a growing number of wetland parks and practitioners have taken various actions, aiming at raising the public awareness about wetlands protection. As a result, educational activities are now available to children, their parents and every citizen in wetland parks across the province. The Baofeng Wetland in Kunming and Fuxianhu Wetland in Yuxi are decent examples.

Tourists enjoy time in Fuxianhu Lake, Yuxi (photo by Hu Yuya, Yunnan Daily)

“Over recent years, the world’s definition of wetland has been expanded,” says Li Weiwei, a senior engineer from Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Today, the concept of wetland encompasses not only bogs, marshes and swamps, but a much wider range of environments such as costal, riverine as well as lake wetlands. In other words, wetlands are more accessible to human communities, particularly city dwellers, than before.

Chuihu Park in central Kunming (photo by Chen Fei, Yunnan Daily)

Take the world-renowned Dianchi Lake and Cuihu Lake in central Kunming for instance, they have become exemplary cases to display how wetlands, flora and fauna, and human beings can coexist in harmony. “Last year, we worked with the Cuihu Lake Park and created a “bird island” on its water, so that different bird species can better live in the heart of the city,” Li says.

A photograph of common moorhen (providing by Li Weiwei)

Yunnan’s wetlands conservation still entails a great deal of effort. “Through the media, we would like to show how wetlands are important to the life of everyone, and involve more people in their protection,” she underlines.

Writing and editing by Wang Jingzhong; proofreading by Zhang Ruogu, Wang Huan and Wang Shixue (Yunnan Daily); photographs from Xinhua, Yunnan Daily and interviewees