Hangzhou, a city often dubbed the “Paradise on Earth,” boasts rich wetland ecosystems. The founding ceremony and inaugural member meeting of Hangzhou Wetland Conservation Association was recently held at the Xixi National Wetland Park. 

Hangzhou Wetland Conservation Association is the first municipal wetland protection association in Zhejiang Province. It will foster collaboration among wetland experts in the city in the areas of popular science, academic research, management, conservation, and volunteer services related to wetland ecosystems, thereby driving wetland conservation efforts in Hangzhou.

Hangzhou is home to 21 types of wetlands across five categories: estuarine, riverine, lacustrine, marsh, and human-made. These wetlands cover 134,000 hectares, accounting for 8% of the city’s total land area, and 63.74% of them, including one Wetland of International Importance (Xixi Wetland) and six Wetlands of Provincial Importance, are under protection. Notably, the Xixi Wetland is the first wetland in China to be designated as “National Wetland Park.”

Hangzhou has made great strides in wetland conservation in recent years. It is the first city in China to develop comprehensive wetland conservation plans at both municipal and county levels. It has also allocated special ecological compensation funds for 1.21 million mu (about 807 square kilometers) of wetland. Leveraging Hangzhou’s digital resources, an integrated wetland monitoring system that utilizes satellite/aerial and onsite observation data has been established to support intelligent management of wetland and water ecosystems, including Xixi Wetland, West Lake, and Qiandao Lake. A series of wetland-themed museums, such as the National Wetland Museum of China, the National Water Museum of China, and the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal Museum, have been successively completed, serving as important platforms for public education on wetland ecosystems and their conservation.

What will Hangzhou Wetland Conservation Association do after its establishment? Hu Junjing, an employee of the Hangzhou Forestry and Wetland Research Institute, told reporters that the Association will primarily focus on increasing public awareness about wetlands and serving as a think tank and liaison platform for wetland conservation efforts. For instance, the Association will establish a team of volunteers, professionals, and educators to conduct public education programs. It will utilize popular science exhibition venues in the city to organize diverse activities to raise public awareness about wetland conservation. Leveraging the expertise of its members, the Association will actively participate in wetland-related research and academic exchange programs. It will also contribute to the development of municipal wetland conservation and monitoring plans and standards, providing valuable insights to inform the city’s wetland conservation, management, and research efforts.

Moreover, the Association will collaborate with professional organizations like the Hangzhou Wildlife Conservation Association and the Hangzhou Forestry Society to actively involve universities, businesses, and volunteers in wetland conservation.