Wetlands and culture: China's conservation action plan highlights traditional knowledge.

World Wetlands Day 2026 highlights traditional ecological knowledge; China reports new laws, expanded protection designations, and sizable wetland restoration and mangrove efforts.

February 2, 2026 marks the 30th World Wetlands Day, whose theme is "Wetlands and traditional knowledge: Celebrating cultural heritage." The observance emphasizes how wetlands are cultural landscapes where generations have developed knowledge on water use, farming, fisheries and resource management. In recent years China has highlighted legal and institutional steps to protect wetlands and presented its actions at international forums such as COP14 in Wuhan. These developments are described alongside examples of restoration, species surveys and community-linked practices. Key points: - Wetlands cover about 6% of the Earth's land area, support around 40% of plant and animal species, and provide services such as water regulation, flood control and purification. - China has enacted a Wetland Protection Law, supported policies with the Ministry of Finance, and reported provincial-level wetland regulations in 21 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities, plus a tiered management system. - Designations and sites reported include 82 wetlands of international importance, 80 wetlands of national importance, 1,208 provincial wetlands, 22 international wetland cities and 903 national wetland parks, about 90% of which are open to the public free of charge and attracting roughly 320 million visits yearly. - Restoration and projects: more than 3,800 projects implemented; over one million hectares added or restored overall; 4.34 million mu (about 290,000 hectares) scientifically restored during the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021–2025); national total wetland area reported as 834 million mu (55.6 million hectares). - Mangrove and species work noted includes 9,200 hectares of mangroves planted, 97,300 hectares of invasive smooth cordgrass removed, a 2025 Beihai expedition recording 58 previously unreported species, and bird-friendly paddy field practices in the Liaohe River Estuary linked with higher average farmer income in that report. - International cooperation items include China’s engagement with the Ramsar Convention, the establishment and ongoing development of an International Mangrove Center with an intended membership growing toward 20 countries. Summary: China’s reporting frames wetland protection as a combination of strengthened law, large-scale restoration projects and targeted species and habitat work, while highlighting links to cultural and traditional knowledge. The country says it is developing institutions such as the International Mangrove Center and promoting international exchanges; how these efforts will unfold internationally is undetermined at this time.