Yantai makes great strides in wetland protection

The coastal city of Yantai in East China's Shandong province has 2.68 million mu (178,666.67 hectares) of wetlands, ranking third in the province, according to the Yantai Municipal Planning and Natural Resources Bureau. The announcement was made in accordance with the upcoming 26th World Wetlands Day that will take place on Feb 2.

This year's World Wetlands Day will have a primary focus on protecting wetlands and pursuing harmony between humans and nature. China passed a new law on wetlands protection in December, 2021 and is the country's first specialized law on the issue. It will take effect on June 1.

In light of the new wetland protection law, Yantai has introduced a slew of policies on the protection, restoration and improvement of wetlands, which have formed a solid foundation for legal wetland protection.

"Wetlands in Yantai have expanded steadily since the city's first wetland and wildlife nature reserve was established in 1988. It has built 25 natural reserve regions for wetland protection, including seven wetland parks and seven special marine protection areas," said Yu Haibo, deputy director of the Yantai Municipal Planning and Natural Resources Bureau.

The construction of protected wetland areas has made significant contributions to water safety and environmental protection. Over the past years, Yantai has made great achievements in strengthening the protection of its wetlands and conserving its biodiversity and ensuring that wetlands will continue to provide social, economic and cultural benefits to its people.

Since last year, Yantai has responded actively to the country's dual carbon goals of peaking carbon emissions before 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality before 2060 as well as establishing its goal of building itself into a world-leading smart low-carbon city, which will in turn help protect its wetlands and forests.