Status of wetlands in China: A review of extent, degradation, issues and recommendations for improvement

The total area of wetlands in China is 53.42 × 106 ha, accounting for 10% of global wetlands and 5.58% of China's territorial area. Wetlands in China are constantly under serious threat from multiple influencing factors. A large number of wetlands have been destroyed and degraded since the 1950s. During past decades, China has already recognized the importance of wetland ecosystems and made many efforts in wetland conservation. More than 550 National Wetland Nature Reserves and 100 National Wetland Parks have been established. However, in the context of so much effort being done, the annual wetland disappearance rate is still close to 1%. In this paper, the current status of wetland resources was reviewed, and the impact factors of wetland degradation were discussed. We further discussed the weaknesses of the current management system. Furthermore, some key recommendations for improvement of wetland protection and management for China were given. These recommendations include: improve special laws and regulations regarding wetlands, establish specialized management agencies; strengthen wetlands research and monitoring; and enhance public wetland conservation awareness.