The 30th World Wetlands Day on Monday was a reminder of the importance of these vital ecosystems. And what China has done in the past couple of decades in preserving and restoring its wetlands provides reference for the rest of the world.

The report, Global Wetland Outlook 2025: Valuing, conserving, restoring and financing wetlands, produced by the Scientific and Technical Review Panel of the Convention on Wetlands, is a comprehensive assessment of the state of wetlands worldwide.

It shows that since 1970, an estimated 411 million hectares of wetlands — approximately 22 percent of the global total — have been lost, with an ongoing annual decline of 0.52 percent. And that around 25 percent of the remaining wetlands are in poor ecological condition, with the proportion increasing.

It concludes that multiple interacting pressures, including agricultural expansion, pollution, infrastructure development, hydrological disruption and the impacts of climate change, are making restoration more complex and urgent.

Wetlands are crucial for biodiversity, water management, climate regulation and disaster mitigation. Recognizing their ecological value, China, whose wetland area is the largest in Asia and the fourth largest in the world, has been strengthening its efforts to protect and restore its wetlands.

Under a categorized management and protection system, 82 wetlands have been designated as being of international importance, 80 of national importance, and 1,208 of provincial importance. A total of 22 cities have been certified as wetland cities of international importance, the highest number in the world. There are now 903 national wetland parks, 90 percent of which are open to the public. The annual visits to these parks amount to 320 million, which helps promote visitors' awareness about the importance of wetland protection.

China introduced a Wetland Protection Law in 2022, and more than 20 provinces have adopted local laws and regulations in this regard. In the past more than a decade, more than 3,800 projects have been implemented to help restore or increase wetland areas, special actions have been taken to protect mangrove trees and China is one of the few countries where mangrove forest cover is on the rise.

What makes China's wetland protection endeavors unique is the way they integrate conservation with economic development and cultural tourism. The country's improving wetland environment has made the development of aquatic husbandry and ecological agriculture possible, thus improving local people's livelihoods.

The improved wetlands have also increased their popular appeal. Xixi Wetland in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, for example, is a national wetland park that has been well conserved, and its integration with the city has attracted an increasing number of visitors. In 2025, Xixi Wetland attracted more than 5 million tourists and created about 8,000 jobs, while generating 290 million yuan ($41.80 million) in revenue.

The integrated conservation approach encompassing mountains, lakes, rivers, forests, arable land, grassland and desert greening has been made a national policy. The resulting increase in the number of rural villages and natural scenic spots becoming popular tourist destinations has confirmed the philosophy that clear waters and lush mountains are, indeed, invaluable assets.

China's approach confirms that this is a way to promote the integrated development of a country's economy with the protection of its ecology.

- Zhu Yuan, China Daily