This document discusses the development of policy guidelines for wetland management in China. It provides background on China's wetlands, including types and areas. It outlines China's goals for wetland conservation by 2030. The project aims to develop guidelines on management planning, monitoring, constructing wetland parks, and wetland restoration. Achievements include draft guidelines, strengthening national coordination, and building partnerships and capacity. Recommendations include adopting ecological character descriptions, addressing local capacity gaps, and enhancing inter-agency cooperation.

1. Development of policy guidelines for
the management of wetlands in China
Richard PRICE
Kiri-ganai Research, Australia

3. Area and Proportion of China’s Wetlands
湿地总面积及比例（3848.56万公顷）(Total = 38.48m ha)
Reservoirs & Pond Coastal
2.28 mil. ha 6% 5.94 mil. ha
库塘湿地 滨海湿地
15%
36
River
21%
%
8.20 mil. ha
22% 河流湿地
Mashes
13.70 mil ha
Lake
沼泽湿地
8.35 mil. ha
湖泊湿地

4. Examples of pressures: Qinhu Wetlands
1 km
Industrial pollution
Intensive aquaculture
Intensive agriculture
Urban encroachment

5. China’s long-term wetland goals
(2030): 1) To raise the total number
of wetland nature reserves
to 713, including 80 Ramsar
Sites
2) Have more
than 90% of
natural wetlands effectively conserved

6. The project objectives
1.Develop 5 sets of guidelines for:
• (1) management planning and (2) monitoring of
Internationally Important Wetlands,
• the (3) construction and (4) assessment of
National Wetland Parks
• (5) wetland restoration
2.Strengthen institutional co-ordination mechanisms
for wetland management in China
3.Contribute to the develop related national policy

7. Project structure
ACEDP Wetlands Project Team Chinese Office of Wetland
Conservation & Management
Richard Price
(Project Director) (State Forestry Administration)
Doug Watkins (Technical leader)
Policy & support Technical
Chen Kelin Ramsar Guidelines
(China Policy & Liaison) Lei Guangchun
Tian Kun
Warren Lee Long
Don Blackmore
(Policy)
Wetland Parks Guidelines
Yuan Jun
Alison Russell-French Li Xiaowen
(Policy, Gender & Participation) John Howes
Restoration Guidelines
Amanda Bigelow An Shuqing
(Gender & Participation) Tony Sebastian
Wetland Coordination Mechanisms
Chen Jing Yuan Jun
(China Liaison & Support) Zhang Xiaohong
John Howes
Judy Andrews
(Australian Liaison & Support) Ecological Character Description
Lei Guangchun
Tian Kun
Warren Lee Long

9. Achievements to date: Policy
• Prepared and reviewed draft Guidelines
– focussed wetland management (maintaining ecological
character)
– identified the fit within the broader policy framework
• Reinvigorated the national coordination
mechanism for wetlands
– National Implementation of the Ramsar Convention
Committee
• Piloted wetland management coordination
arrangements at provincial / municipal level

10. State Council
Nature Reserve Regulations Ramsar matters
Policy:
Ministry of Environment NIRCC
Ramsar
Protection (Supported by OWCM, SFA)
Wetlands
Various National Various National
Government Agencies Government Agencies
Guideline on Monitoring of
Master Plan for Ramsar Sites
each National Ecological Character
Nature Reserve Description
Guideline on Management
Planning for Ramsar Sites

11. CONCEPTUALIZATION OF NATIONAL WETLAND
DEVELOPMENT PHASE
PARK PROPOSAL (by Provincial or Local
authorities)
Policy:
CONCEPT /
PROCESS OF DEVELOPMENT OF A MASTER
PLAN
SUBMISSION OF MASTER PLAN FOR SFA
National
Wetland Parks
APPROVAL
APPROVAL OF MASTER PLAN BY SFA
OPERATIONAL PHASE
PROVISIONAL NWP
USE OF CONSTRUCTION OF NWP BASED ON MASTER
CONSTRUCTION PLAN AND DESIGN DOCUMENT
GUIDELINES
OPERATION AND MANAGEMENT OF NWP (FOR
A PERIOD OF UP TO 6 YEARS?)
RE-APPLICATION
USE OF ASSESSMENT OF NWP OPERATIONS FOR
OPERATIONAL PHASE
ACCREDITED NWP
ASSESSMENT ACCREDITATION BY SFA
GUIDELINES
6–8 year re-accreditation
cycle
ACCREDITATION OF NWP BY SFA (for specific
period)

12. Scenario 1 Scenario 2
Site for restoration has been selected Objective of restoration has been set
Assessment of the site Assessment of the locality
Policy:
Set objective Select site (s)
Wetland
Develop proposal Restoration
Approval of proposal
Feasibility study
Social & Environmental Assessments
Formulate Restoration Master Plan
Objectives
↓
Targets/goals
↓
Methodologies
↓
Budgets
↓
Workplans
Implement wetland restoration

13. Achievements to date:
Partnerships

14. Achievements to date: Capacity Building

15. Observations
• The OWCM in China plays a vital role in focusing effort on
wetland policy and management
• The need for the Guidelines as a means of moving towards
China’s wetland policy aspirations has been reinforced
• Capacity at the local level to help achieve the aspirations is
limited
• Fortunately, the science capacity is exceptional and filling
some gaps in local expertise – but this is not sustainable
• Local aspirations for wetlands can challenge the
achievement of national plans

16. Recommendations
• There is great value in adopting (and enhancing) the
Ecological Character Description and ecosystem services
approach as the underpinning framework for wetland
policy and management in China
• There is an urgent need to address the lack of capacity at
the local site level in order to ensure successful compliance
with the guidelines
• The Central Government should build on the NIRCC
framework to enhance the positive contribution that many
agencies can make to sustainable wetland management