(Originally published on 02/02/2016)

February 2, 2016 marks the 20^th anniversary of World Wetlands Day. This year the occasion was themed “Wetlands for our Future: Sustainable Livelihoods”.

As the future of China’s wetlands depends on the balance between ensuring people’s livelihoods and the wetland’s soundness to provide essential benefits, projects under the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) - Global Environment Facility (GEF) Wetland Protected Area System Strengthening for Biodiversity Conservation Programme­­­ organized themed activities around China to exemplify the concept. 

Hainan: Envision a future with better wetlands and prosperous communities

The GEF Hainan project hosted an activity at Xinying Mangrove National Wetland Park. The villagers of Dongchang Village live nearby the mangrove forest and their livelihood is closely connected to the wetland.

“The Xinying Wetland Park I dreamed” was the theme of the speech by Mr. John Mackinnon, the Chief Technical Advisor of the wetland programme. His analysis of the wetland’s biodiversity and the future he envisions for the wetlands, has helped local villagers to find drives and directions.

“The government officials who advocate for wetland protection might also worry that such an act would hinder the local development, and the local community are worried that strengthened protection would prevent them from development. So the key is to balance development and protection” stated Luo Lixiang, the ranger of Xinying Wetland. He said that the speech given by Mackinnon was thought-provoking for people like him working on wetland protection.

A short movie, “The Swan Song of Ottelia Cordata” that highlights the protection of Ottelia Cordata, a species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red list of threatened species, due to the depletion caused by invasive alien species and water pollution, was launched during the event.

Anhui: The Enactment of the Provincial Wetland Protection Regulation of Anhui

The newly enacted Provincial Wetland Protection Regulation of Anhui was part of the GEF Anhui Project’s effort. To further help people understand the regulations and how it can better protect the wetlands in Anhui, the projects distributed publicity brochures alongside the spring festival couplets “Chun Lian” to around 20,000 residents.

Xinjiang: Link Wetland Protection to Local Life

On World Wetland Day, the knowledge of wetlands and sustainable living was displayed on billboards, posters, flyers and distributed to residents in the Altai central park through the GEF Altai Project.

In 2013, UNDP partnered with the State Forestry Administration and 5 provincial forestry departments to launch the UNDP-GEF wetland programme, aiming at strengthening the management effectiveness of wetland protected area systems in China. The five-year project will tackle the existing and emerging threats to the globally significant biodiversity and ecosystem, which in return will contribute to the economy, bringing ecological and social benefits to local residents.