Photo taken on July 13, 2015 shows a view of the Dajiuhu National Wetland Park in Shennongjia in central China's Hubei Province. The Dajiuhu wetlands, made up of nine lakes, is the largest wetlands in area with highest altitude in central China. (Photo: Xinhua/Du Huaju)
(ECNS) -- As much as 70 percent of middle reach Yangtze River wetlands have vanished, reporters learned during an environmental meeting held in Chongqing.
China has a total of 53.6 million hectares of wetlands, more than 20 percent of which sit along the Yangtze, according to data from the State Forestry Administration.
Lei Guangchun, professor of Beijing Forestry University, said wetlands along the river play a vital role in global ecosystems, adding that four out of the top 10 most important nature reserves for migratory birds on the Asia-Australia flyway are located in the region.
However, these wetlands face a destiny of ecosystem degradation, biodiversity decrease and severe pollution, as a result of rapid urbanization and economic development, Lei added.
Chen Fengxue, deputy head of State Forestry Administration, admitted that over-exploitation of water resources pose a threat to wetlands and that projects disrupt their natural connections. Besides, wetland conservation efforts in China are generally at a low level, he added.
Experts have suggested including wetland protection into performance evaluation of local officials, as local guidance for implementation must become much more specific and meaningfully enforced.
A survey in 2014 stated that China's wetlands have shrunk by nearly 9 percent since 2003.
