Shrinking of wetlands spurs call for regulation
<p><span word="Download">Download</span></p><p><span word="Nearly">Nearly</span> 9 <span word="percent">percent</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="China">China</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="wetlands">wetlands</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="vanished">vanished</span> <span word="over">over</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="past">past</span> <span word="decade">decade</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="urban">urban</span> <span word="development">development</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="increased">increased</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="change">change</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="experts">experts</span> <span word="said">said</span> <span word="shows">shows</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="need">need</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="regulation">regulation</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="protect">protect</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="natural">natural</span> <span word="resource">resource</span>.</p><p><span word="A">A</span> <span word="report">report</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="second">second</span> <span word="national">national</span> <span word="survey">survey</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="wetlands">wetlands</span> <span word="resources">resources</span>, <span word="released">released</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="Monday">Monday</span>, <span word="said">said</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="than">than</span> 3.39 <span word="million">million</span> <span word="hectares">hectares</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="wetlands">wetlands</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="disappeared">disappeared</span> <span word="since">since</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="first">first</span> <span word="national">national</span> <span word="survey">survey</span> 10 <span word="years">years</span> <span word="ago">ago</span>, <span word="even">even</span> <span word="though">though</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="wetlands">wetlands</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="under">under</span> <span word="conservation">conservation</span> <span word="today">today</span>.</p><p>"<span word="The">The</span> <span word="wetlands">wetlands</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="lost">lost</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="last">last</span> <span word="decade">decade</span> <span word="equal">equal</span> <span word="about">about</span> 3 <span word="percent">percent</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="national">national</span> <span word="territory">territory</span>," <span word="said">said</span> <span word="Zhang">Zhang</span> <span word="Yongli">Yongli</span>, <span word="deputy">deputy</span> <span word="director">director</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="State">State</span> <span word="Forestry">Forestry</span> <span word="Administration">Administration</span>. "<span word="The">The</span> <span word="factors">factors</span> <span word="threatening">threatening</span> <span word="wetlands">wetlands</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="expanded">expanded</span>."</p><p><span word="Zhang">Zhang</span> <span word="said">said</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="since">since</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="first">first</span> <span word="survey">survey</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="threats">threats</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="wetlands">wetlands</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="grown">grown</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="three">three</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="five">five</span>.</p><p><span word="Ten">Ten</span> <span word="years">years</span> <span word="ago">ago</span>, <span word="pollution">pollution</span>, <span word="land">land</span> <span word="reclamation">reclamation</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="illegal">illegal</span> <span word="hunting">hunting</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="key">key</span> <span word="threats">threats</span>. <span word="Today">Today</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="pollution">pollution</span>, <span word="excessive">excessive</span> <span word="fishing">fishing</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="gathering">gathering</span>, <span word="land">land</span> <span word="reclamation">reclamation</span>, <span word="invasion">invasion</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="alien">alien</span> <span word="species">species</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="occupation">occupation</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="infrastructure">infrastructure</span>, <span word="he">he</span> <span word="said">said</span>.</p><p><span word="Zhang">Zhang</span> <span word="said">said</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="absence">absence</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="wetland">wetland</span>-<span word="conservation">conservation</span> <span word="legislation">legislation</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="now">now</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="big">big</span> <span word="concern">concern</span>.</p><p>"<span word="We">We</span> <span word="need">need</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="step">step</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="legislation">legislation</span>," <span word="he">he</span> <span word="said">said</span>. "<span word="China">China</span> <span word="should">should</span> <span word="promulgate">promulgate</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="National">National</span> <span word="Wetlands">Wetlands</span> <span word="Conservation">Conservation</span> <span word="Regulation">Regulation</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="quickly">quickly</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="possible">possible</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="clearly">clearly</span> <span word="define">define</span> <span word="powers">powers</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="responsibilities">responsibilities</span>, <span word="administrative">administrative</span> <span word="procedure">procedure</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="code">code</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="conduct">conduct</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="wetland">wetland</span> <span word="conservation">conservation</span>."</p><p><span word="China">China</span> <span word="joined">joined</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Ramsar">Ramsar</span> <span word="Convention">Convention</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="Wetlands">Wetlands</span> <span word="in">in</span> 1992 <span word="but">but</span> <span word="still">still</span> <span word="hasn">hasn</span>'<span word="t">t</span> <span word="enacted">enacted</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="national">national</span> <span word="regulation">regulation</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="convention">convention</span> <span word="requires">requires</span>.</p>
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