February 2 marks the 30th World Wetlands Day. The 2026 theme, "Wetlands and traditional knowledge: Celebrating cultural heritage," highlights the deep connections between wetlands and the cultural practices, livelihoods and knowledge systems of communities around the world.

Wetlands are not only ecological spaces, but also cultural landscapes where generations have developed traditional ecological knowledge on water use, farming, fisheries and sustainable resource management.

Such knowledge, formed through long-term interaction between people and nature, continues to support modern wetland conservation and sustainable development.

The 14th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties (COP14) to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands was held in 2022 in Wuhan, capital city of central China's Hubei Province and an "international wetland city." Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a speech via video at the opening ceremony in which he vowed that China will pursue modernization of harmony between humanity and nature, promote high-quality development in the wetlands conservation cause, and promote international exchanges and cooperation.

Wetlands are one of the world's three major ecosystems and are vital to both people and nature. Although they cover only about six percent of the Earth's land surface, wetlands support around 40 percent of all plant and animal species and provide essential ecosystem services, including water regulation, flood control and water purification.

However, wetlands are among the most threatened ecosystems globally, facing rapid loss and degradation driven by human activities and climate change.

China has significantly strengthened legal and institutional safeguards for wetland protection in recent years. The country has enacted and implemented the Wetland Protection Law, improved law-based governance, and, together with the Ministry of Finance, introduced supporting policies to promote wetland restoration.

To date, provincial-level wetland protection regulations have been formulated or revised in 21 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities. A tiered wetland management system has been established, providing a solid institutional foundation for long-term conservation.

Under this system, 82 wetlands of international importance have been designated, 80 wetlands of national importance have been released and 1,208 wetlands of provincial importance have been identified in the country. A total of 22 international wetland cities have been certified, the highest number worldwide.

In addition, 903 national wetland parks have been established, about 90 percent of which are open to the public free of charge, attracting approximately 320 million visits each year.

Wetland protection and restoration have continued to be advanced nationwide, with more than 3,800 projects implemented and over one million hectares of wetlands added or restored.

Around 4.34 million mu (about 290,000 hectares) of wetlands were scientifically restored during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025). Currently, the country's total wetland area has reached 834 million mu (55.6 million hectares), safeguarding the ecological security baseline for wetlands.

In 2025, during a scientific expedition in the mangrove wetlands of Beihai, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, 58 previously unreported species were recorded. In the Liaohe River Estuary wetlands in northeast China's Liaoning Province, paddy fields managed under a bird-friendly farming model were not only used to provide shelter for birds but also increased farmers' average income by 79.21 percent.

Special action plans targeting mangrove protection and restoration, as well as the control of invasive smooth cordgrass, have delivered tangible results. A total of 9,200 hectares of mangroves have been planted, while 97,300 hectares of smooth cordgrass have been removed.

China has also actively fulfilled its international obligations under the Ramsar Convention, advancing the "China solution" for global wetland conservation. The International Mangrove Center has been officially established and is being developed to a high standard, with the number of intended member countries increasing to 20, contributing Chinese experience and expertise to global wetland governance.

By integrating traditional ecological knowledge with modern science, legal frameworks and community participation, China's wetland practices offer valuable insights into balancing ecological protection, cultural heritage and sustainable development, echoing the core message of World Wetlands Day 2026.

For more:

Our wetlands: Where tiny moss supports a 20,000-year-old wetland

Our wetlands: Where the arduous Long March was witnessed

Our wetlands: Where the wild Yellow River meets the sea

(Cover designed by CGTN's Pei Zihan)