DONGYING, China, Oct. 20, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In October, the red seepweed at the estuary of the Yellow River carpets the ground, heralding the start of an international event. On October 15, the 2024 Roundtable of Wetland City Mayors officially opened in Dongying City, Shandong Province. A total of 220 leaders, experts, scholars, and representatives from 31 cities across seven countries, including China, Japan, South Korea, Hungary, France, Rwanda, and Morocco, met to discuss vital topics concerning wetland protection and sustainable urban development, and pool wisdom for global wetland conservation and urban development.
Transforming the "wetland community" into a "cooperation community" is the goal of this event. This three-day roundtable, hosted by the Dongying Municipal People's Government, revolves around the theme "Wetlands Enrich Cities for a Shared Future." A diverse array of activities were held, including expert keynote speeches, specialized presentations, parallel forums, wetland city network meetings, and field observations, aiming to provide a platform for in-depth exchanges and interaction among wetland cities at home and abroad, inject strong momentum into the protection of the "Kidney of the Earth" and build a harmonious world for humans and nature.
Dongying, located in the northern part of Shandong Province along the shores of the Bohai Sea, is a central city in the Yellow River Delta and at the estuary of the Yellow River. The convergence of rivers and seas has nurtured this extraordinary land, endowing Dongying with rich natural resources and unique ecological resources. It boasts the largest, most intact, and youngest estuarine wetland ecosystem in the world's warm temperate zone, making it one of the most representative examples of estuarine wetland ecosystems globally. The total area of wetlands in Dongying is 456,700 hectares, with a wetland ratio of 41.58%, earning it a designation on the International Important Wetlands List.
As one of the first cities globally to be designated as an "International Wetland City" and the host city for China's first roundtable of wetland city mayors, Dongying has implemented several wetland restoration initiatives aimed at enhancing wetland protection and biodiversity. The city has pioneered a distinctive wetland restoration model at the Yellow River Estuary and reinforced habitat protection for key bird species. In July of this year, the migratory bird habitat at the Yellow River Estuary was successfully designated as a world natural heritage site. Additionally, Dongying has effectively integrated wetlands with urban space to bolster ecological protection within urban wetlands, promote the development of wetland-themed areas, and foster a harmonious coexistence between urban environments and wetlands. The city's ecological character, marked by its clear air and eco-friendly living conditions, is increasingly prominent.
Source: Dongying Municipal People's Government
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