Minister speaks highly of SZ for mangrove wetland building

China's minister of ecology and environment, Huang Runqiu, praised Shenzhen for its efforts in building the urban coastal mangrove wetland at the Seventh Summit for Subnational Governments & Cities, a parallel event to the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP15) to the U.N. Convention on Biological Diversity, on Sunday local time in Montreal, Canada.

Huang said at the summit that with many years of efforts, Shenzhen has transformed the tidal flats left by the reclamation of Shenzhen Bay in the last century into a coastal mangrove wetland in urban areas.

Huang Runqiu, China's minister of ecology and environment, makes a speech at the Seventh Summit for Subnational Governments & Cities in Montreal, Canada, on Sunday. DT News

The mangrove wetland has attracted over 100 species of rare birds to inhabit here and preserved a valuable ecological space featuring wetland experience, ecological protection and science popularization education for the city, Huang said.

The second phase of the COP15 with China as chair is being held Dec. 7 to 19 in Montreal, Canada. Shenzhen delegates will share the city’s innovative experience in biodiversity conservation during the conference.

Over the years, Shenzhen has adhered to the green development concept to enhance ecological environment conservation and aimed to become a pioneer in sustainable human development.

In terms of ecosystems, Shenzhen not only has forests, grasslands, rivers and lakes, but also coastal shore beaches and tidal wetlands. In terms of biodiversity, Shenzhen has recorded 2,086 species of wild vascular plants and 585 kinds of native terrestrial wild vertebrates. Among them, 128 species are national key protected wild animals and plants, according to data provided by the Shenzhen Municipal Ecology and Environment Bureau.

Shenzhen is also rich in wildlife resources. The city has 54 species of ancient relic plants and over 20 wild plants and animals were named after Shenzhen. Moreover, a batch of rare species including national protected wildlife was discovered in the city during a recently conducted investigation.

President Xi Jinping proposed the idea to build an international mangrove center in Shenzhen in his speech via video during the COP14’s opening ceremony held in Wuhan on Nov. 5.

The COP14 in Geneva, Switzerland, officially passed a draft resolution on building an international mangrove center in Shenzhen on Nov. 13 Beijing Time, the world’s first.

According to the Shenzhen Wetland Protection Plan (2021-2035) that is currently being compiled, by 2035 Shenzhen will strive to achieve a 50% wetland protection rate, maintain a stable wetland area, effectively improve the ecological status of coastal wetlands, and build itself into an international wetland city.