On December 3, the Hainan Provincial Science and Technology Awards Conference announced 47 award-winning projects, including the Haikou City Wetland Protection Management System and “Wetland Protection + Restoration Research Model” which won third prize.
“This medal is a major affirmation of the entire team’s research on Haikou Wetland Protection and Restoration as well as the International Wetland City construction work done since 2016.” Yuan Xingzhong head of the Chongqing University team.
In terms of the protection management system, Haikou has set up a three-level wetland protection management network system establishing a system guarantee for future wetland protection as well as a wetland restoration model.
In recent years Haikou City has built, restored and protected a large number of wetland parks around the city including, Meishe River National Wetland Park, Wu Yuan He National Wetland Park, Maiya River Regional Ecological Restoration Project, and the Dongzhagang National Nature Reserve among others.
To build public awareness of wetland protection, Haikou successfully established 11 wetland schools and cooperated with public welfare organisations to build the Wuyuan River Wetland Education Center in Haikou, and carried out numerous wetland public welfare projects.
In September of this year, farmers planted mangroves in the tidal flats at the site of the ecological restoration and resource protection project in the Dongzhaigang National Nature Reserve in Hainan.
According to the Haikou Forestry Bureau the ecological restoration and resource protection project of the Dongzhaigang National Nature Reserve in Hainan has now been completed with mangrove plantings totaling 720 acres.
Submerged by the sea when the tide rises, and surfaced when the tide is low, mangroves rooted in the sea have the functions of protection from wind and waves, purifying seawater, fixing and storing carbon and maintaining biodiversity.
The Dongzhai Port Ecological Restoration and Resource Protection Project includes 720 acres of new mangrove forests and 2,083 acres of post-disaster restoration and afforestation areas.
According to the Haikou Forestry Bureau, between 2022 and 2025, Haikou will establish183 acres of mangroves at the Dongzhaigang National Nature Reserve, restore about 4,817 acres of existing mangroves, and continue construction of 1,230 acres of mangrove forests in Sanjiang Bay.
Related article: Recording birds in the Haikou Wetlands
