Hey there, eco-warriors! 🌎 Guess what? The Eighteen Polder Wetland Restoration Phase III Project in Anhui Province's Chaohu Lake Basin just got some serious global recognition! 🎉 It's been selected as a standout project for the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. How cool is that?
Why is Chaohu Lake a Big Deal?
Chaohu Lake is one of the five major freshwater lakes in the Chinese mainland. The Eighteen Polder, nestled in Feidong County of Hefei City (Anhui's buzzing capital), is like the VIP section of wetlands near Chaohu Lake. 🦆🌱
The Backstory 📚
Since the 1960s, more people started moving to the area, thanks to lake reclamation and folks gathering there. But all that human hustle led to the wetland ecosystem getting a bit… well, fragile. 😕
The Big Turnaround 🌟
In 2017, Hefei city rolled out a master plan to give the Eighteen Polder Wetland a major glow-up. They tackled it step by step, and the third phase wrapped up in July 2022, covering about 4.3 square kilometers!
So, What Changed?
They transformed artificial wetlands (think breeding ponds) into supercharged, multi-functional ecosystems. Now, these wetlands rock at purifying water, boosting biodiversity, storing floodwater, and even supporting green production systems. Talk about a makeover! 💧🌿
Nature's Comeback Kid 🐦
By the end of the project, around 410 hectares became a dream habitat for birds. They also restored 263 hectares of forest and grasslands. Biodiversity? Skyrocketed! 🚀 They spotted 15 aquatic plant species for the first time. And bird species jumped from 63 to a whopping 117 in 2022! Birdwatching, anyone? 👀🦅
It's stories like these that give us hope for our planet's future. 🌱💚 Cheers to Chaohu Lake and all the awesome people making a difference!
Reference(s):
Chaohu wetland selected as case of UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration
cgtn.com
