(CFP)

Jiangsu recently launched the province’s first-ever wetland conservation compensation program, making the province one of the pioneers in this initiative nationwide.

With approximately 980,000 hectares of significant wetlands, the province has allocated 74.62 million yuan in compensation funds to support conservation efforts for 378,000 hectares. The funds will be used for wetland ecosystem protection and restoration, natural shoreline maintenance, river and lake connectivity, and essential activities like investigations, monitoring, patrolling, and public awareness campaigns.

The Yancheng Wetland and Rare Birds National Nature Reserve is drafting an implementation plan for the 27.57 million yuan it received. Established in 1983 and upgraded to a national nature reserve in 1992, the site is one of the only two intertidal wetlands inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. It features the largest and most intact intertidal ecosystem along the west shore of the Pacific. The reserve is home to China’s largest wintering population of wild red-crowned cranes and hosts 1,855 animal species and 697 plant species.

In recent years, the reserve has made strides in restoring degraded wetlands and increasing biodiversity, including a rewilding project involving the release of 20 crested ibises. Additionally, the wetland has also traded over 31,000 tonnes of carbon emissions.

In Sihong county of Suqian City, the Hongze Lake Wetland National Nature Reserve covers 502 square kilometers, the largest inland freshwater wetland ecosystem in Jiangsu and East China. It is also a critical habitat and stopover along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway, the most densely populated flyway in the world.

The 8.74 million yuan allocated to the reserve will support ecological restoration projects, such as removing invasive species, restoring damaged wetlands, conducting resource surveys, environmental monitoring, and routine patrolling. The funds will also aid public awareness campaigns to strengthen community support for wetland conservation.

The Taihu Lake Shore Wetland, a provincial-level wetland park, received 230,000 yuan for wetland conservation initiatives. The park has been integrating ecological protection with recreation, tourism, and public education.

In addition to financial support, Jiangsu has enhanced its legislation efforts. A revised regulation on wetland protection took effect on May 1, following its adoption by the Standing Committee of the Jiangsu Provincial People’s Congress in January this year.