[Photo/Shanghai Chongming Media Center]

Chongming district in Shanghai, along with eight other Chinese cities, was named an international wetland city at the 15th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, held in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, on July 24. This recognition brings the total number of such cities in China to 22, the highest in the world. 

Surrounded by a 288-kilometer coastline, Chongming's outer tidal flats form a natural ring around the island. More than 16,000 rivers and streams weave through the district, which is also home to over 26,000 small water bodies. Wetlands cover approximately 70 percent of the district, with 60 percent under formal protection. 

Positioned along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway, Chongming is a key stopover for migratory birds, offering seasonal refuge to more than one million waterbirds each year.

Over the past three decades, the district has strengthened its environmental stewardship through initiatives such as a decade-long fishing ban and the reintroduction of critically endangered species. These efforts have led to a marked recovery in ecological diversity. 

Wetlands, often referred to as the "kidneys of the Earth", are one of the planet's three major ecosystems. They play a vital role in sustaining life, preserving biodiversity, capturing carbon, and helping mitigate the impacts of climate change. 

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Source: Shanghai Chongming Media Center

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