China’s wetlands protection law takes effect

China’s new law on wetlands protection took effect on June 1, adding evidence of more conservation and improving administrative systems for the country’s vast wetland areas.

The law restricts construction projects in important national wetlands and bans all harmful behaviors, including overgrazing, overharvesting, the discharge of wastewater and land reclamation.

Human activities, such as tourism, planting, animal husbandry, aquaculture and shipping, in wetlands must also be undertaken with care to minimize adverse impact.

According to the law, the country will exercise the administration of wetlands at different levels, and significant wetland areas should fall under the ecological conservation red lines.

Following the implementation of the law, China will step up wetlands protection, aiming to increase its wetlands protection rate to 55 percent by 2025 and restore 1 million mu (over 66,000 hectares) of wetlands, said the administration.

China’s wetlands protection law takes effect (gov.cn)

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