Fuzhou, capital of Fujian province, has earned another world-class recognition after it was officially designated as an International Wetland City at the 15th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties (COP15) in Zimbabwe on July 24.

It joined eight other newly certified Chinese cities: Chongming in Shanghai, Dali in Yunnan province, Hangzhou in Zhejiang province, Jiujiang in Jiangxi province, Lhasa in Xizang autonomous region, Suzhou in Jiangsu province, Wenzhou in Zhejiang province, and Yueyang in Hunan province.

With these additions, China now has 22 International Wetland Cities—the highest of its kind in the world.

Fuzhou stands out not only as a newly certified city but also as the first in Fujian province to receive this prestigious title. What makes Fuzhou special?

The city is home to 194,200 hectares of wetlands, covering 15.14 percent of its total area. With a wetland protection rate of 55.33 percent, Fuzhou ranks among the top coastal cities in China. Its diverse wetland system includes one internationally important wetland, eight provincially significant wetlands, three provincial-level or higher nature reserves, and 103 drinking water source protection zones—forming a comprehensive, multi-tiered conservation network.

This remarkable progress in both conservation and sustainable development has earned Fuzhou global recognition, but it's just the beginning. With this new milestone comes even greater responsibility.

On July 1, the newly revised "Fuzhou Wetland Protection Regulation" came into effect, introducing targeted protection measures for five key types of wetlands: coastal, river and lake, urban, mangrove, and aquatic germplasm resource wetlands. Alongside 15 other local laws and regulations, these efforts have further strengthened the legal framework that safeguards Fuzhou's ecological future.

To maintain and improve its international status, Fuzhou is now rolling out an ambitious "next-level" wetland protection plan. The city is drafting the "Fuzhou International Wetland City Enhancement Plan (2025–2031)", aiming to turn its green vision into a detailed roadmap—and ultimately, a reality.

Key initiatives under the plan include biodiversity surveys, enhanced wetland data collection, and continued improvement of wetland parks. Fuzhou also plans to build more city- and county-level wetland parks, upgrade environmental education and outreach facilities, and promote ecotourism and science education. The city is also exploring innovative strategies such as developing marine blue carbon trading mechanisms to unlock more ecological value from its wetlands.

Fuzhou's commitment to environmental stewardship is already taking root in local communities. On Simuyu, an uninhabited island in Lianjiang county, volunteers have joined efforts to protect the endangered Chinese crested tern. Through habitat restoration, the use of decoys, and playback of bird calls, they are supporting the birds' breeding efforts, all monitored closely via video surveillance.

"Wetland protection is a long and challenging journey," said an official from the Fuzhou Forestry Bureau. "Fuzhou will continue to build on its designation as an International Wetland City, deliver high-quality ecological products, and promote wetland brand recognition. Our goal is to renew the certification in 2031 while promoting the normalization and continuous improvement of ecological conservation."