According to the Guangdong Forestry Bureau on the 13th, Guangdong officially launched the construction of the Pearl River Delta Beautiful Wetland System this year, and Guangzhou and Shenzhen are currently striving to build international wetland cities.
International wetland cities are recognized as wetland cities in accordance with the procedures and requirements stipulated in the Convention on Wetlands, and are the highest achievement in urban wetland ecological protection. Currently, 74 cities from 27 countries worldwide have been recognized as international wetland cities, with China ranking among the top with 22 cities, and no city from Guangdong has been selected.
Guangdong has abundant wetland resources and a complete range of wetland types. The current wetland area exceeds 1.8 million hectares, and the mangrove area exceeds 11600 hectares, ranking first in the country. With the launch of the fourth batch of international wetland city certification work, Guangdong strives to build two international wetland cities, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, by 2028, radiating and driving the formation of a multi-level and networked wetland ecological pattern throughout the province.
According to the Forestry Bureau of Guangdong Province, the "One River, One Sea" initiative in Guangzhou and Shenzhen will be implemented in a staggered manner, promoting wetland conservation in urban agglomerations through systematic ecological governance, and striving to provide Guangdong practices that can be referenced for wetland conservation in high-density mega cities around the world.
Located in the hinterland of the the Pearl River water system, Guangzhou is a typical Lingnan water town with a complete ecological base of mountains, rivers, forests, fields, lakes and seas. The total area of wetlands in the city is 67700 hectares, with 12 types of wetlands, connected by a "core corridor point" layout to form ecological nodes throughout the entire area. The local innovative ecological management model of "only collecting without transforming" has permanently preserved the Haizhu Wetland, a central ecological space. Through tidal connectivity and ecological embankment renovation, comprehensive restoration has been implemented, and water quality and biodiversity continue to improve. The Nansha River mouth area continues to promote the cultivation of mangroves and the restoration of wetlands, and related marine ecological restoration projects have been included in the United Nations' "Decade of Marine Science for Sustainable Development" implementation framework.
Relying on special legislation, the forest, river, and lake chief system, and the national governance system, Guangzhou has achieved coordinated progress between ecological protection and urban development, and has been awarded the title of "Lighthouse City" in the Global Natural City Plan. Based on the core engine positioning of the Guangdong Hong Kong Macao Greater Bay Area, Guangzhou is taking the construction of an international wetland city as the driving force, focusing on promoting the conservation of central wetlands, Lingnan water towns, and the restoration of small and micro wetland systems, exploring the deep integration of high-quality development and high-level protection.
Shenzhen, located on the South China Sea, is a key passage for migratory birds from East Asia to Australia. Leveraging its coastal mangrove resources and cross-border location advantages, it is promoting wetland management. The wetland rate in the city is 18.29%, and the wetland area has steadily increased in the past three years. Relying on the International Mangrove Center as a global platform, Shenzhen has achieved multiple national pioneering achievements in bird friendly city planning, mangrove carbon trading, and cross-border joint protection between Shenzhen and Hong Kong.
Shenzhen is accelerating local legislation for the protection of mangrove wetlands, continuing to promote the construction of key river greenways and multiple ecological restoration projects, accelerating the construction of a mangrove wetland museum, establishing a national level scientific research platform, building an integrated smart monitoring platform for "sky and earth", and expanding international cooperation in wetland ecological conservation, scientific research exchanges, nature education, and other fields.
Next, Guangdong will take the construction of the beautiful wetland system in the Pearl River Delta as the starting point, deeply explore the basic characteristics of wetlands in southern Guangdong, coordinate wetland protection and restoration with the improvement of ecological space quality, comprehensively enhance the service value and resilience of wetland ecosystems, and create more vivid examples of wetland protection and urban development coexisting and prospering. (Looking into the New Era)