Jining in Shandong province has viewed wetland resources as the key to the city's ecological protection and restoration efforts.

The city has various types of wetlands including river wetlands, lake wetlands, swamp wetlands and artificial wetlands. The rich wetland resources allow residents to enjoy a poetic life at their doorstep.

Jining has implemented a series of wetland construction policies for small and micro wetlands, ecological networks, and culture and management systems. Its total wetland area has reached 152,400 hectares, and 77.38 percent of which is under protection.

On May 26, 2022, Jining was approved as an International Wetland City by Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, an intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. 

To date, the city has protected and revitalized a total of 203,700 mu (13,566 hectares), of wetlands and established 32 wetland towns, 56 wetland villages and 124 small and micro wetlands.

Jining has explored and formed six governance models including digging deep and shallow pads, ecological management and industrial utilization for the ecological management of coal mining.

The city has implemented comprehensive restoration methods such as increasing vegetation coverage and breeding aquatic animals to preserve new wetlands with severe mine subsidence due to perennial water accumulation.

A patch of wetland in Jining. [Photo/Jining News]