Southeast Asia Information Port News (www.dnyxxg.com) – From November 7th to 9th, the 9th China Wetland Forum and the 2025 Annual Meeting of the Wetland Ecology Professional Committee of the Ecological Society of China and the China Branch of the International Association of Wetland Scientists were held in Changsha. More than 400 experts and scholars from over 60 research institutions and universities at home and abroad participated.
The conference, themed "Protecting Wetlands, Building the Future Together," saw experts discuss topics such as wetland eco-hydrological processes, wetland biodiversity conservation, wetland ecological restoration and functional enhancement, and wetland resources and rational utilization. The aim was to provide scientific and systematic solutions for wetland ecological protection and high-quality development in China, and to promote the continuous and healthy development of wetland protection in China.
2025 marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of national wetland parks. Over the past 20 years, China has established 903 national wetland parks, effectively protecting 2.4 million hectares of wetlands and driving regional economic growth of over 50 billion yuan. Meanwhile, approximately 90% of national wetland parks are open to the public free of charge, making wetland parks an important green space shared by the people.
Zhou Weiqi, Secretary-General of the Ecological Society of China, pointed out that wetland protection is a significant responsibility, requiring the active participation of researchers in the field and the general public. Relevant research institutions and wetland ecological committees should further strengthen communication and cooperation to actively promote wetland ecological research and protection.
"From the reed-covered Dongting Lake area to the coastal wetlands along the Yellow Sea, this visit to China has allowed me to witness China's strong measures in wetland protection. I hope that the United States and China can conduct more regular academic exchanges related to wetland protection and jointly shoulder the mission of understanding, protecting, and restoring wetlands," said Rebecca Pierce, President of the International Association of Wetland Scientists.
During the conference, the editorial board meeting of the journal *Wetland Science*, sub-forums, and the closing ceremony were also held. The parallel sessions primarily focused on eight topics: "Wetland Hydrology and Water Resources," "Wetland Biogeochemical Cycles," "Wetland Habitats and Biodiversity," "Wetland Ecological Restoration and Functional Enhancement," "Wetland Resources and Rational Utilization," "Wetland Evolution and Sustainable Development," "Wetland Remote Sensing and Monitoring," and "Wetland Pollution and Ecological Security." More than 130 oral presentations were given.
This conference was hosted by the Wetland Ecology Committee of the Ecological Society of China, the Chinese Chapter of the International Association of Wetland Scientists, and the Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. It was organized by the Institute of Subtropical Agriculture Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, the National Wetland Research Center, the Hunan Dongting Lake Wetland Ecosystem National Field Scientific Observation and Research Station, and the International Union for Wetland Research. (End)
