The pristine Minjiang River Estuary Wetland in Fuzhou is also known as a paradise for birds. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]

In a significant boost, Fuzhou, capital of Fujian province, has been awarded Wetland City Accreditation on July 24 at a prestigious international event held in Africa.

This was during the 15th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, or COP15, being held in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, marking a significant milestone for Fujian's International Wetland City initiative.

As Fujian's sole International Wetland City, Fuzhou was acknowledged in the coastal city category. With 194,200 hectares of wetlands, accounting for 15.14 percent of its territory and boasting a wetland protection rate of 55.33 percent, Fuzhou leads the province in both metrics.

Over 75 percent of its wetlands are coastal, with the Minjiang River Estuary Wetland standing out as Fujian's largest pristine estuary wetland, designated as a Wetland of International Importance (Ramsar Site) in 2022.

Fuzhou's conservation efforts include the enactment of 15 local regulations, the initiation of seven major ecological restoration projects and the implementation of the Happy River and Lake construction project, with an annual investment of 30 million yuan ($4.18 million) allocated towards wetlands restoration and job resettlements.

In recent years, Fujian has laid the foundation for a comprehensive wetlands protection system, featuring wetlands nature reserves, wetlands parks and important wetlands areas as key components.

The province currently hosts 10 nature reserves of wetlands types at or above the provincial level, including four at the national level and six at the provincial level, along with eight national wetlands parks and seven national marine parks.

In another major initiative, the Fujian Province Wetland Protection Plan (2024-2030) was issued, clearly defining six key tasks: total wetlands area control, hierarchical management, a protection system, protection and restoration, sustainable utilization and capacity building for protection and management.

By 2030 Fujian plans to add four national important wetlands and seven provincial important wetlands.