sustainability

Article
The Impact of Urban Development on Wetland Conservation
Zhaobin Li *, Lei Ma, Dongmei Gou, Qianqian Hong, Leungkam Fai and Bo Xiong

Hong Kong Metropolitan University, Homantin, Kowloon, Hong Kong

* Correspondence: s1285609@live.hkmu.edu.hk

Abstract: Wetland is an integrated ecosystem which includes ecosystems such as hydrology, soil,
vegetation, and biological environments. At present, the urbanization rate of China’s national
economic development process is rapidly increasing, and by the end of 2021, the urbanization
rate of China’s resident population will be 64.72%. This paper analyzes the hydrological effects of
urbanization, the impact of water resources, climate change, and biodiversity on wetland ecosystems,
and also analyzes the role of wetlands on the ecological environment, especially in terms of ecological
and cultural values. The economic and social benefits of the whole society are also analyzed. The
ecological and social benefits of urban wetlands have made their conservation and sustainable
development increasingly important worldwide. Based on the current situation of China’s urban
wetland protection and restoration, we put forward countermeasures and suggestions for China’s
urban wetland protection. This is conducive to promoting the sustainable development of the
urban wetland ecosystem, promoting the operation of the market, realizing the optimal allocation of
ecological resources, improving the benefits of ecological environmental protection, and promoting
the coordinated development of the ecological environment. This paper provides a reference for the
better development of wetland conservation under urbanization development conditions.

Keywords: urban wetlands; wetland ecosystems; wetland conservation; wetland restoration;

Citation: Li, Z.; Ma, L.; Gou, D.; research progress
Hong, Q.; Fai, L.; Xiong, B. The
Impact of Urban Development on
Wetland Conservation. Sustainability
2022, 14, 13747. https://doi.org/ 1. Wetland Overview
10.3390/su142113747 1.1. Origin of the Concept of Wetlands
Academic Editors: Ayman Radwan, Due to the complexity of wetlands, the diversity of species, and their wide distribution,
Hisham Almajed and there are still various opinions and definitions in the disciplinary community [1]. At present,
Ahmad Almogren the meaning of wetland that has been temporarily unified around the world is from the
Convention on Wetlands, which specifies that wetland is a natural or artificially modified,
Received: 31 August 2022
Accepted: 10 October 2022
time-honored, or temporary marsh, peat place, or water geographic zone, containing water
Published: 24 October 2022
carriers that stop or flow, light, semi-salty or brackish water, including the water zone
where the depth of water does not exceed 6 m at the lowest tide level [2]. As a broad
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral concept of wetland classification, it can be seen from the conceptual division that wetland
with regard to jurisdictional claims in
are a special transitional type of ecology that are neither water nor land, that include the
published maps and institutional affil-
interweaving of land and water, and the most prominent feature is their ecological system
iations.
with hydrology, soil, vegetation, and biological environment dominated by water factors.

1.2. Formation of Wetlands

Copyright: © 2022 by the authors.
One of the reasons for the existence of wetlands is due to geographical changes in the
Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. natural environment, and another reason for their existence is due to urban development,
This article is an open access article civic development, and other external forces that have contributed to the formation of
distributed under the terms and wetlands. Wetlands are natural sites for sewage purification, and because the entire wetland
conditions of the Creative Commons system has not been fully and completely summarized, the definition of wetlands varies
Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// from country to country. Among them, some wetland researchers in China [3] defined
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ wetlands, proposing that wetlands consist of water and various types of substrates that are
4.0/). composed of permanent or temporary organisms, such as aquatic and terrestrial systems,

Sustainability 2022, 14, 13747. https://doi.org/10.3390/su142113747 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability

Sustainability 2022, 14, 13747 2 of 18

with strong vitality and productivity, resulting in ecosystems of special nature. However, [4]
consider wetlands as a living system with environmental landscape value, as well as a
habitat for a variety of birds and fish that play an important role in reducing pollution
and purifying water. In addition to this, there is a part of the humanities that considers
wetlands as terrestrial margins, including all types of natural or man-made bodies of water.

1.3. Wetlands in the City

Urban wetlands is a new term and concept, created in the 21st century. This type of
wetland belongs to the urbanization development in response to the urban environmental
degradation caused by the activities of urban residents. There are various understandings
of the meaning of urban wetlands among the public, but the common view is that they
exist within urban areas and are affected by urban human activities, and their ecological
service functions are significantly different from natural or man-made wetlands. Due to the
diverse types of wetlands, urban wetlands include sea, lakes, rivers, water resource areas,
natural and artificially created ponds within the city, as well as sewage treatment facilities
in the city and other environmental ecosystems with similar ecological purification, which
are wetland ecosystems with certain natural environmental characteristics, recreational
environment and scientific research value in the city and surrounding areas, and can be
used both for scientific research and as a special area open to the public. Urban wetland
park construction has a great role: to protect wetlands (as the main factor), with certain
recreational functions, to provide space for human recreation and leisure, to maintain the
earth’s ecological environment and the natural ecological environment system stability. Its
features reflect the three major values of ecological, social, and economic benefits.
Urban wetlands, urban public open space mainly to improve the human habitat, com-
pared with other “natural wetlands”, have three characteristics: first, social and ecological
services are the main function. With the development of society, humans pay more attention
to the benefits of non-material output. Second, safety and protection statuses are promi-
nent [5]. Because of the urban population and economic development, urban wetlands play
an important role in natural disaster prevention and control and improve the human living
environment. Third, the cultural and educational advantages are reflected. Urban wetlands
not only provide recreational services, but also have the educational significance of cultivat-
ing awareness of ecological and environmental protection to human beings [6]. Therefore,
urban wetlands are regarded as urban ecological infrastructure or green infrastructure,
building a protective barrier for urban ecological safety and symbolizing a higher level
of urban civilization. Urban wetland protection and restoration not only affects the water
security and ecological security of cities, but also can fully highlight the characteristics of
cities and enhance their cultural taste.

1.4. Research Background

At present, wetland research has attracted the emphasis of wetland researchers inter-
nationally, and some developed countries have obtained many valuable theoretical studies
and achievements in the research and exploration of wetland parks, and the theoretical and
practical studies of wetland parks have gained great achievements under the struggle of
researchers in various countries [7]. However, the evolutionary process of wetland parks is
relatively short, and there are quite a lot of deficiencies in the construction of core theories.
In the research process of wetland parks, it is necessary to insist on the combination of
wetland theory and practice, to find loopholes in them, and to study the impact of urban-
ization development on wetlands from the theories, so as to solve the deficiencies that exist
in wetland development.
China’s first national wetland park, Hangzhou Xixi, was built in 2005 [8]; since then,
with the passage of time, the number and scale of urban wetland parks have been fairly well-
improved and have progressed every year; the above have contributed to the development
of China’s wetland conservation system, but also create a basis for the work of wetland
Sustainability 2022, 14, 13747 3 of 18

conservation. In recent years, the Guangdong has begun making efforts to protect and
restore wetland parks, and the achievements are remarkable.
The Guangdong Province, located in the south of China, belongs to the subtropical
monsoon climate. The region has many rivers, a unique location and a narrow coastline;
Guangdong has become a home to many diverse, large, and widely distributed wetlands,
and is one of the strongest biodiversity provinces and regions in China. There are more than
2000 rivers of all sizes in the territory, the coastline of its islands is 1649.50 km long, and
the east, west and north rivers converge to form the Pearl River Delta [9]. The interwoven
network of rivers and waterways is also the cradle of the breeding and development of
Lingnan culture. The Guangdong Province has 1,753,400 hectares of wetlands, of which
1,158,100 hectares are natural wetlands and 595,300 hectares are artificial wetlands. By 2007,
twenty-seven national wetland parks were established in the Guangdong Province.

1.5. Purpose and Significance of the Study

A wetland is an area such as a coast, a lake, or a marsh where the land is too wet or
where water often accumulates. However, from the viewpoint of ecological conservation,
wetlands are defined in a broader scope, covering not only the water surface and the water
surface between land areas throughout the year. In 1971, the Convention on Wetlands of
International Importance as Waterfowl Habitat (Wetlands Convention) was signed by more
than one hundred countries, as well as giving a broad definition. Article 1, paragraph 1 of
the Convention defines the following: “A marsh, wetland, peatland, water, with a natural,
artificial, permanent or temporary swamp, wetland, peatland, or an area of water with
flowing, fresh, brackish or salt water, covering a depth of not more than six meters at low
tide.” Wetlands are natural ecosystems with many functions and rich biological diversity on
the globe, and are one of the main environments on which people depend for their survival.
As an important part of the global ecological environment, urbanized wetlands provide rich
environmental and ecological resources for human production and life, and have relatively
high ecological value; for example, they produce oxygen, soil erosion, control runoff, store
flood water, prevent drought, degrade urban pollution, regulate and control urban climate,
and so on. Because of their filter-like function, wetlands are also known as the “kidneys
of the earth”. Globally speaking, wetlands cover about 6.4% of the global land area, but
store a large amount of organic carbon in the global soil, and most birds cannot survive or
reproduce without wetlands; see Figure 1.
We analyzed the main problems faced by urban wetland protection and restoration,
and reviewed the research progress of advanced theoretical technologies, key restoration
technologies, and the natural ecological design of major urban wetland restoration at home
and abroad. We also discuss the problems of biodiversity degradation, frequent destructive
production activities of communities, and control governance in two wetlands, Taihu Lake
and Poyang Lake. We analyze the successful experiences of urban wetland conservation as
well as restoration in terms of adjusting industrial structure, developing circular economies,
establishing an ecological compensation mechanism, strengthening regional management
of wetlands, and enhancing publicity and education legislation to raise citizens’ awareness.
Finally, the research development direction in the field of urban wetland conservation and
restoration is foreseen.
In the context of global climate change, wetlands in urbanized areas are equivalent to
an ecological barrier naturally constructed for cities, often effectively buffering external
damage and impact when extreme weather events such as floods and storm surges are
hitting cities. After the tsunami in Japan in 2011, the Japan Institute of Air and Space
Technology (JIAT) reassessed the embankment standards of coastal cities in Japan, and
after considering the effects of extreme storm surges, ground subsidence, and rising sea
levels, it was found that the design standard of one in four hundred years for logs in the
Osaka area could actually only cope with extreme tide levels of one in sixty years. The
design elevation of one in two hundred years in the Takamatsu area actually only meets
the standard of one in ten years. The natural disasters that have occurred in coastal areas
 Sustainability 2022, 14, 13747 4 of 18

around the world have shown us that no artificial or hard dams that are high and strong
nability 2022, 14, x FOR PEER REVIEW  are infallible, and that what humans need to do is to reflect on the narrow
4  of  19 development
concept of trying to overcome manipulate nature, and to respect the needs of nature more,
seek the ability of nature, leave space for water and nature, and rely on the ability of nature
to ensure human safety.
 

Figure 1. Diversity of wetland landscape. 
Figure 1. Diversity of wetland landscape.
In the context of global climate change, wetlands in urbanized areas are equivalent 
In a typical natural “urban wetland”, although the conservation of wetlands and their
to an ecological barrier naturally constructed for cities, often effectively buffering external 
important ecological value has been widely recognized by all walks of life, and work has
damage and impact when extreme weather events such as floods and storm surges are 
been carried out to protect wetland wildlife, the protection of wildlife is only the first step.
hitting  cities. The
After  the of
value tsunami  in  Japan 
estuarine in  2011, 
wetlands is by the  Japan limited
no means Institute 
toof 
theAir  and  Space 
sheltering of wildlife; they
Technology (JIAT) reassessed the embankment standards of coastal cities in Japan, and 
are also a natural barrier for coastal cities against extreme weather events such as storm
after considering the effects of extreme storm surges, ground subsidence, and rising sea 
surges and floods, and bear an important responsibility for the ecological safety of the entire
levels, it was found that the design standard of one in four hundred years for logs in the 
city. For example, the 12th Five-Year Plan for Environmental Protection and Ecological
Osaka area could actually only cope with extreme tide levels of one in sixty years. The 
Construction in Fuzhou City clearly states: “Implement wetland protection projects, protect
design elevation of one in two hundred years in the Takamatsu area actually only meets 
and restore wetland ecosystems, and enable wetlands to be reasonably developed and
the standard of one in ten years. The natural disasters that have occurred in coastal areas 
utilized”. Obviously, there is still a deficiency in making wetlands equal in size and
around the world have shown us that no artificial or hard dams that are high and strong 
area, i.e., working out how to provide space for sustainable urban development while
are infallible, and that what humans need to do is to reflect on the narrow development 
ensuring the least amount of effective land so that urbanized wetlands become an overall
concept of trying to overcome manipulate nature, and to respect the needs of nature more, 
ecological security model. A comprehensive understanding of the important ecological
seek the ability of nature, leave space for water and nature, and rely on the ability of nature 
service functions beyond land resources, such as safeguarding urban safety, mitigating
to ensure human safety. 
urban heat island effect, buffering disaster impacts, sheltering wildlife, and supporting
In a typical natural “urban wetland”, although the conservation of wetlands and their 
agricultural and fisheries development. All the “understanding” and “protection” are based
important ecological value has been widely recognized by all walks of life, and work has 
on the familiarity and control of the spatial and temporal dynamic evolution of wetland
been carried out to protect wetland wildlife, the protection of wildlife is only the first step. 
ecosystem characteristics and laws. Therefore, in the wetland distribution area, it is of
The value of estuarine wetlands is by no means limited to the sheltering of wildlife; they 
great significance for the construction of regional ecological and environmental security
are also a natural barrier for coastal cities against extreme weather events such as storm 
to carry out long-term, targeted ecological monitoring. We provide an in-depth study of
surges and floods, and 
the spatialbear an important 
and temporal dynamicresponsibility 
evolutionfor 
ofthe 
keyecological 
ecologicalsafety  of the 
elements in the wetland
entire  city.  For  example,  the  12th  Five‐Year  Plan  for  Environmental  Protection  and 
Ecological  Construction  in  Fuzhou  City  clearly  states:  “Implement  wetland  protection 
projects, protect and restore wetland ecosystems, and enable wetlands to be reasonably 
developed and utilized”. Obviously, there is still a deficiency in making wetlands equal 
Sustainability 2022, 14, 13747 5 of 18

ecosystem characteristics, and make scientific and objective quantitative assessment to find
the ecological and environmental problems of the crux. For a full understanding, we grasp
the spatial and temporal evolution of the wetland ecosystem laws to explore the effective
prevention of urban wetland area and system function degradation, to strengthen regional,
ecological, and environmental security.

2. Domestic and Foreign Research Processes

2.1. Foreign Research Process
Foreign research on wetlands was carried out relatively early, and wetlands prospered
in the early days in North America. The development of wetland parks has gradually made
greater progress in adopting foreign technical means of wetland landscape planning and
construction, while also using wetlands as a comprehensive place for wetland activities,
including the development of recreational products, wetland activities, and health care.
The currently available research results are insufficient for solving the practical problems
encountered in wetlands. Therefore, it is important for researchers around the world to
work together to explore the problems encountered in wetland ecology, share the available
academic results with each other, and work to maintain the ecology.
Up to now, the theoretical research results achieved in the field of urban wetland
research in Western countries, led by the United States, were particularly profound. It is
known that the distribution of wetlands in the United States is extensive, and the US ranks
among the top in the world in terms of the number of wetlands and wetland parks. Research
on wetlands began in the United States in the late twentieth century. The research process
has encountered many problems, and most of the current wetland problems have been
solved through academic research and practical work, and theoretical research is excellent.
These theoretical bases have a very important role in furthering our understanding of
wetlands.
There is a certain amount of research and understanding of wetland parks in foreign
countries, and a series of policies have been proposed, and good development results
have been achieved. However, in the effective use of wetland resources and the rapid
development of urban agriculture, the integration of resources and development, as well as
the benefits of both ecological and economic aspects, the theoretical basis of the dual-effect
theory is not comprehensive enough, and requires continuous exploration and research by
academic researchers.
Foreign research on wetland parks lies, on the one hand, in the study of natural
wetland parks, mainly on the diversity of aquatic species habitats. In their study of wetland
parks, ref. [10] applied the concept of ecological corridors to the conservation planning
of wetland systems on the west coast of Taiwan, and proposed the concept of wetland
ecosystems for wetland park planning. In their study of natural wetland parks, they used
ecological analysis, environmental analysis, and environmental economics, advocating
for the application of these methods to wetland parks, arguing that the scientific research
value and integrity of wetland ecosystems should be the focus of building wetland parks
in non-core urban areas, and in the peripheral areas of nature reserves.
Foreign research on wetland parks, on the other hand, lies in artificial wetlands;
ref. [11] proposed that the construction of artificial wetlands helps to restore the surrounding
ecological environment. At present, the main research areas of artificial wetlands abroad
are urban waste treatment, urban sewage, flood control, urban landscape, and ecological
value research. This research considers that artificial wetlands have recreational and
economic values and play a very important role in natural ecology and urban functional
area improvement.
Developed countries started the planning and construction of wetland parks very early,
providing useful reference for the protection, utilization, restoration, and reconstruction of
wetland ecosystems. The Beaumont Artificial Wetland in the United States, the Leighton
Wetland Garden Wetland, and other wetland parks represented in sewage management
are worthy of reference for other wetland parks. Australia’s Newcastle Trane Wetland
 research.  This  research  considers  that  artificial  wetlands  have  recreational  and  economic 
values  and  play  a  very  important  role  in  natural  ecology  and  urban  functional  area 
improvement. 
Developed  countries  started  the  planning  and  construction  of  wetland  parks  very 
early,  providing  useful  reference  for  the  protection,  utilization,  restoration,  and 
Sustainability 2022, reconstruction 
14, 13747 of  wetland  ecosystems.  The  Beaumont  Artificial  Wetland  in  the  United  6 of 18
States, the Leighton Wetland Garden Wetland, and other wetland parks represented in 
sewage  management  are  worthy  of  reference  for  other  wetland  parks.  Australia’s 
Newcastle Trane Wetland and Canada’s Nebo Lake Oak Wetland provide habitats for a 
and Canada’s Nebo Lake Oak Wetland provide habitats for a variety of organisms and
variety of organisms and provide people with science education and ecotourism services. 
provide people with science education and ecotourism services. The London Wetland
The London Wetland Park in England is mainly composed of marshes and ponds, and the 
Park in England is mainly composed of marshes and ponds, and the wetlands have been
wetlands  have  restored
been  and re-rationalized
restored  to form an excellent
and  re‐rationalized  ecological
to  form  environment,
an  excellent  thus being able to
ecological 
attract a large number of waterfowl to inhabit the park.
environment, thus being able to attract a large number of waterfowl to inhabit the park. 

2.2. Domestic Research Progress

2.2. Domestic Research Progress 
Against  the  Against the background
background  of deterioration
of  deterioration  due  to due to destruction
destruction  of  ofecological 
ecological environment,
the importance of protecting the environment has gradually
environment, the importance of protecting the environment has gradually attracted the  attracted the attention of
human beings. Due to the importance of protecting the environment,
attention of human beings. Due to the importance of protecting the environment, after the  after the rapid devel-
rapid  development  of  international  wetland  public  interest  organizations  and  the  1971  Convention
opment of international wetland public interest organizations and the 1971
Convention  on  onWetlands, 
Wetlands,China 
Chinajoined 
joined in 
in 1992 
1992 and
and developed
developed wetland
wetland environmental
environmental  activities in our
country (see Figure 2).
activities in our country (see Figure 2). 

Figure 2. Investment in environmental pollution control in China. 
Figure 2. Investment in environmental pollution control in China.

China’s  research  in  wetland 

China’s researchparks  has,  relatively, 
in wetland parks has,lagged  behind; 
relatively, the  research 
lagged behind;on 
the research on
wetland parks began at the founding of the country. Researchers [12] began to dive into 
wetland parks began at the founding of the country. Researchers [12] began to dive into
the study of wetlands since the founding of New China and in the following decades. In 
the study of wetlands since the founding of New China and in the following decades. In
China’s wetland parks, in the academic field of continuous exploration and in the Institute 
China’s wetland parks, in the academic field of continuous exploration and in the Institute
in  various  areas  of  wetlands, 
in various areas ofin‐depth 
wetlands,discovery  and  research 
in-depth discovery generally 
and research found  found
generally and  and realized
that wetlands, for the sustainable development of people, have
realized that wetlands, for the sustainable development of people, have a very important  a very important role. In
1992, our country joined the ranks of global wetland conservation and acceded to the
role. In 1992, our country joined the ranks of global wetland conservation and acceded to 
“Wetlands Convention”. Since then, China has further studied wetland ecosystems in
the “Wetlands Convention”. Since then, China has further studied wetland ecosystems in 
depth, and applied theories to the conservation and restoration of wetland ecosystems,
depth, and applied theories to the conservation and restoration of wetland ecosystems, 
management, and exploration, providing the basis for the development of wetlands in
China.
So far, China’s research on wetland parks is not deep enough. Wetlands are a broad
concept that encompass many different fields and disciplines, so they cause the complexity
of wetland environments. Now, China lacks some systematic research results on wet-
land park planning and design theories and methods, while continuing to explore and
accumulate practical results and scientific theoretical results. In future scientific research
on wetland parks, it will be necessary to continuously explore the academic field of wet-
lands. At present, there are many sources of ecological deterioration of wetlands as well as
solutions waiting for scholars and researchers to explore and study through this process.
In general, there is still a gap in the research and exploration of wetland parks in China
compared to the developed countries in the West, and the scientific research institutions
and theoretical systems engaged in wetland research are not complete or perfect. Since
the completion of the first wetland theme park, theoretical research and practice have
complemented each other’s development, and many cities in China have already carried
Sustainability 2022, 14, 13747 7 of 18

out wetland planning and protection and restoration work. Now under the influence of the
sponge city theory, wetland parks reflect the aesthetic, ecological, and cultural integration
and other values of conservation and layout of the planning, wetlands and cities have
become more closely linked.

Impact of Urbanization on Wetland Ecosystem

There are significant differences between urban and non-urban environments in terms
of natural environment and biological characteristics. With the continuous development of
urban construction, the hydrological properties of urban wetlands have changed, which
has a direct impact on the structure and function of wetlands. For example, the construction
of municipal infrastructures such as roads, sewers, and river surges will have an impact
on the hydrological properties of rivers, which in turn will lead to a chain effect on the
wetland and terrestrial ecology in the surrounding areas. Urbanization has caused changes
in the biological and chemical properties of wetlands, resulting in changes in their species
assemblages, dispersal capabilities, and interactions. Specific, rare, and special forests are
limited in the region. The size, morphology, and hydrological conditions of patches are the
main factors affecting the ecology of plant and animal growth and reproduction.
In the process of urbanization, the changes in wetland morphology are influenced by
the combination of both natural and human aspects, i.e., the combined action of man and
man. The natural force belongs to the eternal, which is always present in the process; the
human dynamics, that is, the transformation and utilization of wetlands by man, changes
from weak to strong, and more and more widely and profoundly changes the morphology
of wetlands, making them the main force of the whole ecosystem in a certain period of
time. Especially in the case of a combination of natural and human dynamics, wetlands
have been severely damaged, leading to the collapse of entire ecosystems. Studies have
shown that the historical variability of wetlands in arid regions, as well as the progressively
changing dry and hot climate, are important factors in creating this variability, as shown in
Tables 1–4 and Figure 3.

Table 1. National and sub-source chemical oxygen demand emissions in 2020.

Centralized
Agricultural
Project Total Industrial Source Source of Life Pollution Control
Source
Facilities
Emissions/million tons 2564.8 49.7 1593.2 918.9 2.9
Proportion (%) - 1.9 62.1 35.8 0.1

Table 2. National and sub-source total nitrogen emissions in 2020.

Centralized
Agricultural
Project Total Industrial Source Source of Life Pollution Control
Source
Facilities
Emissions/million tons 322.3 11.4 158.9 151.6 0.4
Proportion (%) - 3.5 49.3 47.0 0.1

Table 3. National and sub-source ammonia nitrogen emissions in 2020.

Centralized
Agricultural
Project Total Industrial Source Source of Life Pollution Control
Source
Facilities
Emissions/million tons 98.4 2.1 25.4 70.7 0.2
Proportion (%) - 2.2 25.8 71.8 0.2
Sustainability 2022, 14, 13747 8 of 18

Table 4. National and sub-source total phosphorus emissions in 2020.

Centralized
Agricultural
Project Total Industrial Source Source of Life Pollution Control
Source
Facilities
Emissions/million tons 33.7 0.4 24.6 8.7 0.01
Sustainability 2022, 14, x FOR PEER REVIEW  8  of  19 
  Proportion (%) - 1.1 73.2 25.7 0.03

Figure 3. Emission load (million tons). 
Figure 3. Emission load (million tons).
Table 1. National and sub‐source chemical oxygen demand emissions in 2020. 
2.3. Impact of Urbanization on Wetland Area
The decrease in wetland area due to urbanization is mainly due to sedimentation, Centralized 
lake and beach reclamation, and landfills,
Industrial  and the filling, occupation, and Pollution 
Agricultural  modification
Project  by Total 
of wetlands urban construction Source of Life 
Source and transportation.
Source  The USDA survey shows that the
Control 
reduction of wetland area in the U.S. watershed is mainly due to the urbanization process.
Facilities 
Urbanization
Emissions/ has led to a loss of 58% of wetlands in the United States, 55% of wetlands
in the Netherlands2564.8  49.7 
since 1950, 90% of wetlands 1593.2 
in New Zealand 918.9  2.9 60% of
since 1850, and
million tons 
wetlands in Spain. Our wetlands decreased by 33% from 1978 to 2008. The second national
Proportion 
wetland survey in‐ 2009 showed1.9  that the total area of wetlands in35.8 
62.1  0.1  hm2 ,
China was 53,602,600
(%)  2
a decrease of 3,396,300 hm compared to the first survey completed in 2003, with a decrease
of 8.82%. The wetland area of urban lakes in Wuhan City reduced by 52.3 percent from
Table 2. National and sub‐source total nitrogen emissions in 2020. 
the 1950s to the early 21st century. The Xixi wetland in Hangzhou has rapidly declined
in area due to rapid urbanization, especially in the eastern part of the wetland, where the
Centralized 
area of the water body declined from
Industrial  29.50 percent in
Agricultural  1990 to 4.45 percent in 2010. Urban
Pollution 
Project in areas
expansion Total 
such as Beijing, Tianjin, Wuhan, Jinan, Source of Life 
Shanghai, and Lhasa has resulted
Source  Source  Control 
in the permanent disappearance of surrounding wetlands, as shown in Table 5 and Figure 4.
Facilities 
Emissions/mi
322.3  11.4  158.9  151.6  0.4 
llion tons 
Proportion 
‐  3.5  49.3  47.0  0.1 
(%) 

Table 3. National and sub‐source ammonia nitrogen emissions in 2020. 

Centralized 
Industrial  Agricultural  Pollution 
Project  Total  Source of Life 
Source  Source  Control 
Facilities 
Emissions/mi
Sustainability 2022, 14, 13747 9 of 18

Table 5. Actual urbanization rate in China, 2010–2019 (%).

Urbanization Rate
Urbanization Rate
Urbanization Rate of China’s
Actual of Middle and
Year of Resident Urbanized Actual Deviation
Urbanization High-Income
Population Household
Countries
Population
2010 49.95 34.17 45.69 58.86 −13.17
2011 51.27 34.71 46.80 59.74 −12.94
2012 52.57 35.33 47.92 60.60 −12.68
2013 53.73 35.93 48.92 61.46 −12.54
2014 54.77 36.63 49.87 62.30 −12.43
2015 56.10 39.90 51.73 63.14 −11.41
2016 57.35 41.20 52.99 63.96 −10.97
2017 58.52 42.35 54.15 64.78 −10.63
2018 59.58 43.30 55.18 65.57 −10.39
Sustainability 2022, 14, x FOR PEER REVIEW  10  of  19 
  2019 60.60 44.38 56.22 66.35 −10.13

 
Figure 4. Urbanization rate (%). 
Figure 4. Urbanization rate (%).

2.4. Impact of Urbanization on Wetland Biodiversity

2.4. Impact of Urbanization on Wetland Biodiversity 
Wetland habitat fragmentation induced by urbanization can adversely affect native
Wetland habitat fragmentation induced by urbanization can adversely affect native 
flora and fauna, leading to changes in species richness and distribution, population com-
flora  and  fauna,  leading  to  changes  in  species  richness  and  distribution,  population 
position, and ecosystem function. This is because the shift in land use types during
composition, and ecosystem function. This is because the shift in land use types during 
urbanization can lead to a reduction in plant and animal habitat, habitat fragmentation,
urbanization can lead to a reduction in plant and animal habitat, habitat fragmentation, 
and decrease in environmental quality. The enhancement of boundary habitats and their
and decrease in environmental quality. The enhancement of boundary habitats and their 
boundary effects can limit pollen and fruit dispersal, increasing the number of soil plots
boundary effects can limit pollen and fruit dispersal, increasing the number of soil plots 
susceptible to invasive species and enhancing species invasion. Researchers [13] found that
susceptible  to  invasive  species  and  enhancing  species  invasion.  Researchers  [13]  found 
urbanization increased the loss of native species and invasion of exotic species in Atlantic
that  urbanization  increased  the  loss  of  native  species  and  invasion  of  exotic  species  in 
white fir Chamaecyparis thyoides wetlands, preventing the development of wetlands. It
Atlantic  white  fir  Chamaecyparis  thyoides  wetlands,  preventing  the  development  of 
was also found that sediment accumulation from urban runoff and frequent streambed
wetlands. It was also found that sediment accumulation from urban runoff and frequent 
disturbance limit algal blooms, and that sediment metal accumulation in streambeds has
streambed 
devastatingdisturbance  limit 
effects on algae algal 
[14]. Theblooms, 
evolutionand  that 
of the sediment 
original metal 
wetland accumulation 
plant communities in 
streambeds has devastating effects on algae [14]. The evolution of the original wetland 
in Dongting Lake to artificial communities has accelerated along with the urbanization
plant communities in Dongting Lake to artificial communities has accelerated along with 
process. The reduction and loss of biodiversity will seriously affect the stability and ecolog-
the urbanization process. The reduction and loss of biodiversity will seriously affect the 
ical balance of the wetland ecosystem, damage soil fertility and water quality, affect food
stability and ecological balance of the wetland ecosystem, damage soil fertility and water 
sources and industrial and agricultural resources, and ultimately affect ecological security
quality, affect food sources and industrial and agricultural resources, and ultimately affect 
and sustainable human development, as shown in Figure 5.
ecological security and sustainable human development, as shown in Figure 5. 
 streambeds has devastating effects on algae [14]. The evolution of the original wetland 
plant communities in Dongting Lake to artificial communities has accelerated along with 
the urbanization process. The reduction and loss of biodiversity will seriously affect the 
stability and ecological balance of the wetland ecosystem, damage soil fertility and water 
quality, affect food sources and industrial and agricultural resources, and ultimately affect 
ecological security and sustainable human development, as shown in Figure 5. 
Sustainability 2022, 14, 13747 10 of 18

Figure 5. Impact of wetland habitats on native flora and fauna.

Figure 5. Impact of wetland habitats on native flora and fauna. 
3. Effect of Wetland on Ecological Environment
3. Effect of Wetland on Ecological Environment 
Urban wetlands are an ecological and landscape type with a mosaic pattern of water
Urban wetlands are an ecological and landscape type with a mosaic pattern of water 
bodies, banks, and land, and have long been an ideal place for people to live because
bodies, banks, and land, and have long been an ideal place for people to live because of 
of their unique resources and environmental conditions. Wetland areas exist in many of
their  unique  resources 
China’sand 
mostenvironmental  conditions. 
important tourist Wetland 
and scenic areas,areas  exist  in 
and urban many  of 
wetlands are generally the
least active areas for human activity, and their beautiful natural landscapes are ideal for
citizens and tourists. Even a walk, bike ride, etc. in a wetland park can be a refreshing
experience. Today, people pursue a healthier lifestyle and often go to wetland parks as a
family to release stress and build up their strength to pursue a better life.
Some wetlands have preserved historical relics, reflecting their profound humanistic
heritage and rich material cultural heritage, and are an important place for studying
history and culture [15]. Due to long-term human activities, they have become not just a
physical landscape but a cultural landscape [16]. Under the guidance of relevant national
conservation policies and development policies, the cultural ecology of the city can be
effectively protected and preserved by tapping and renewing the unique cultural resources
of wetlands. The waterfront landscape created by using wetlands can produce a strong
visual effect and combining it with real buildings can form a spatial sequence with a sense
of rhythm, thus making the wetlands and the city one in spatial structure.

3.1. Cultural and Scientific Values

Wetlands are not only the main ecological environment that people rely on, but also
contain a rich variety of biology and a highly productive ecosystem. Urban wetlands are
valuable because they have many ecological services that cannot be replaced by other
factors, and are a barrier to urban ecological security, which is indispensable for sustainable
urban development.
The greater the diversity of organisms, the more stable the urban ecosystem. Wetlands
are key to maintaining urban biodiversity as a major component of the ecosystem on which
many wildlife species depend for survival and reproduction [17]. At the same time, the
biodiversity of urban wetlands also makes them an important genetic gene pool, which is of
great significance for the conservation of wildlife germplasm resources and the cultivation
and improvement of economic species. The complex ecosystems, rich flora and fauna, and
species richness of urban wetlands provide valuable practice sites for conducting scientific
education and research.

3.2. Benefits Embodied in Wetlands

3.2.1. Economic Benefits
In addition to the capital investment required to operate wetlands, they also have their
own economic value. Firstly, artificial wetlands purify wastewater, a method that saves
a lot of money and works better than conventional wastewater treatment methods, and
they also store water. Secondly, Qionghai wetlands usually have a landscape effect and can
be visited by tourists to gain economic benefits [18]. In addition, economic benefits can be
 Sustainability 2022, 14, 13747 11 of 18

Sustainability 2022, 14, x FOR PEER REVIEW 
gained 12  of  19 
from the plants and animals in these wetlands, such as fish, shrimp, crabs, algae,
 
lotus roots, and rhizomes, which can be processed and sold as food, as shown in Figure 6.

 
Figure 6. Economic value. 
Figure 6. Economic value.

3.2.2. Socio-Cultural Benefits

3.2.2. Socio‐Cultural Benefits 
The wetlands themselves are a small biosphere, rich in biological resources and are an
The wetlands themselves are a small biosphere, rich in biological resources and are 
indispensable component of the environment. In the later stages of their development, the
an indispensable component of the environment. In the later stages of their development, 
wetlands were developed in
the  wetlands  were  developed  in different
different styles
styles according toto 
according  their characteristics,
their  thus
characteristics,  adding
thus 
adding artificial natural scenery to the city [19]. In beautifying the environment, they also  a
artificial natural scenery to the city [19]. In beautifying the environment, they also create
good environment for humans to relax, exercise, rest, and release social stress. In addition,
create a good environment for humans to relax, exercise, rest, and release social stress. In 
the wetland
addition,  itself provides
the  wetland  a good a 
itself  provides  natural environment
good  natural  to cultivate
environment  to  people’s
cultivate sentiment
people’s  and
inspire themselves, which has an irreplaceable value.
sentiment and inspire themselves, which has an irreplaceable value. 
The biological chains, biomes, ecosystems, and ecospheres composed of many kinds
The biological chains, biomes, ecosystems, and ecospheres composed of many kinds 
of organisms in wetlands have educational and scientific significance, not only providing
of organisms in wetlands have educational and scientific significance, not only providing 
materials, but also serving as test bases for people to study and research.
materials, but also serving as test bases for people to study and research. 
In summary, the benefits that wetlands bring to a society can be summarized in
In summary, the benefits that wetlands bring to a society can be summarized in the 
the following areas. Wetland benefits include, but are not limited to: 1. maintenance
following  areas.  Wetland  benefits  include,  but  are  not  limited  to:  1.  maintenance  of 
of biodiversity; 2. floodwater storage; 3. natural disaster prevention; 4. degradation of
biodiversity;  2.  floodwater  storage;  3.  natural  disaster  prevention;  4.  degradation  of 
pollutants; 5. regulation of climate; 6. prevention of saline leaching into coastal aquifers
pollutants; 5. regulation of climate; 6. prevention of saline leaching into coastal aquifers 
and water bodies; 7. wildlife habitat; 8. provision of abundant plant and animal products;
and water bodies; 7. wildlife habitat; 8. provision of abundant plant and animal products; 
9. supply of water resources; 10. supply of mineral resources; 11. provision of energy;
9. supply of water resources; 10. supply of mineral resources; 11. provision of energy; 12. 
12. provision of water transport; 13. provision of gene pools; 14. tourism and travel; 15.
provision of water transport; 13. provision of gene pools; 14. tourism and travel; 15. socio‐
socio-cultural significance; 16. educational and scientific research value; 17. maintainence
cultural  significance; 
of natural systems 16. 
andeducational  and  scientific  research  value;  17.  maintainence  of 
existing processes.
natural systems and existing processes. 
4. Wetland Conservation Issues and Measures
4. Wetland Conservation Issues and Measures 
4.1. Difficulties and Problems Revealed in Wetland Conservation
4.1. Difficulties and Problems Revealed in Wetland Conservation 
Since the development of wetland parks in China is still in its infancy and various
areas are not fully mature, there are very many difficulties and problems that need to be
Since the development of wetland parks in China is still in its infancy and various 
faced in the process of urbanization and development. The key points of performance are
areas are not fully mature, there are very many difficulties and problems that need to be 
as follows.
faced in the process of urbanization and development. The key points of performance are 
as follows. 

4.1.1. To Establish a Sound Professional Management Body 
At present, China’s exploration in the construction and protection of wetland parks 
is in its infancy, and the accumulation of experience, as well as practical exploration, are 
lacking [20]. It is necessary to integrate technical forces to build management institutions 
Sustainability 2022, 14, 13747 12 of 18

4.1.1. To Establish a Sound Professional Management Body

At present, China’s exploration in the construction and protection of wetland parks
is in its infancy, and the accumulation of experience, as well as practical exploration, are
lacking [20]. It is necessary to integrate technical forces to build management institutions
for the construction and protection of wetland parks, which is the most urgent task to
accelerate the construction of wetland parks [21]. In addition, there has never been a sound
system of technical research in the construction of wetland parks, nor has there been a
perfect evaluation method of wetland parks, which obviously increases the risk of failure
for relevant technical research.

4.1.2. Unscientific Planning and Design

At present, many wetland parks in construction lack the guidance of relevant scientific
theory. They are completely copied from park/waterpark planning and design, and do not
highlight the special characteristics of the wetland landscape.
Failure to create a structurally stable, species-diverse, and functional ecosystem has
led to many problems in planning and design.
A. Unreasonable design of land selection, in order to pursue a large area for the site to
create pressure.
B. Unclear division of functional zoning and unclear division of the core protection
boundary, without highlighting the regional characteristics.
C. Too much artificial change interference, the construction of too many squares and
artificial buildings so that people do not appreciate the natural wetland scenery.
D. Landscape design is too formalized, changing the long-established landscape pattern
of natural and humanistic integration of wetlands, etc.

4.1.3. Policies and Systems Need to Be Improved

At this stage, many international countries have already formulated laws and regula-
tions on wetland protection, but because the development of wetlands in China is relatively
slow and late, and at the same time, the relevant domestic laws and regulations are not
yet sound and perfect, there is a lack of protection laws in this area. The lack of laws
and systems makes the park ecological environmental protection lack relevant laws as a
basis [22]. At the same time, because the paid protection of wetlands has not been fully
implemented, farmers are unable to obtain proper economic compensation due to the
closure of grazing and the return of farmland to the swamp, which makes their enthusiasm
for wetland protection very much negatively affected.

4.1.4. Management and Scientific Research Need to Be Strengthened

A. The management system needs to be rationalized. At present, the management
system of China’s wetland parks is relatively complex, involving many aspects of
management issues, and the management efficiency is relatively low.
B. Weak technology research lags behind. Because the current technical support for
wetland protection is weak, the research in ecosystem restoration technology and
wetland protection lags behind. This means that wetland park resource surveys,
database construction, and other aspects of the work cannot be implemented.
C. Educational functions need to be strengthened. Because of deviations in understand-
ing, or because many are driven by economic interests, wetland park ecological
protection may be seriously diluted and the contradiction between construction and
wetland protection emerges. There is an overuse of development, leading to a loss of
the original natural ecological functions of wetlands.

4.2. Suggested Measures for Wetland Convention Construction and Protection

4.2.1. Wetland Natural Ecological Design
The natural ecology of wetlands and scientific design is an important way to restore
and adjust wetlands. Wetland ecosystems require the use of the basic principles and
 4.2.2. Agreements Related to Wetland Conservation in China 
Wetland conservation rate as shown in Figure 7. Our country has cooperated with 
international organizations, such as the International Fund for Nature, the United Nations 
Development  Programme,  the  IUCN,  and  the  International  Crane  Foundation,  in  the 
Sustainability 2022, 14, 13747 13 of 18
fields  of  wetland  conservation  and  survey,  natural  area  construction,  and  talent 
cultivation. At the same time, China has acceded to several international conventions. The 
reference conventions are listed in the Table 6. 
methods of ecology to build, restore, and adjust the wetland, so that the normal operation
of the wetland and sustainable development of the ecosystem are mantained [19]. In the
Table 6. International Convention on Wetlands. 
“Discussion on Several Basic Issues of Wetland Ecological Design”, the basic principles of
Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl 
A  its design, indicators of design, and types of design are discussed in more detail. This is of
Habitat  of wetlands in China. It is believed that it
great guidance for the restoration and regulation
Convention on international trade in endangered species of Wild Fauna and 
B  will be of pivotal importance to the restoration and adjustment of wetlands in China.
Flora 
C  4.2.2. Agreements Related to Wetland Conservation in China
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 
Wetland conservation rate as shown in Figure 7. Our country has cooperated with
Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and 
D  international organizations, such as the International Fund for Nature, the United Nations
Other Matter 
E  Development Programme, the IUCN, and the International Crane Foundation, in the fields
United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification 
F  of wetland conservation Convention on Biological Diversity 
and survey, natural area construction, and talent cultivation. At
the same time, China has acceded to several international conventions. The reference
G  United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change 
conventions are listed in the Table 6.

 
Figure 7. Wetland conservation rate in China (%).
Figure 7. Wetland conservation rate in China (%). 

Table 6. International Convention on Wetlands.

5. Poyang Lake Wetland Ecological Restoration Case 
This research team uses the successful restoration examples of Taihu Lake and Poyang 
Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl
A
Lake as the typical wetland ecological restoration cases in China shown in this project. 
Habitat
Convention on international trade in endangered species of Wild Fauna and
B
Flora
 
C United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes
D
and Other Matter
E United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification
F Convention on Biological Diversity
G United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
Sustainability 2022, 14, 13747 14 of 18

5. Poyang Lake Wetland Ecological Restoration Case

This research team uses the successful restoration examples of Taihu Lake and Poyang
Lake as the typical wetland ecological restoration cases in China shown in this project.

5.1. Introduction to Poyang Lake

Poyang Lake is a large-scale freshwater lake in China, geographically located in
the middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River, spanning six provinces, including Jiangxi,
Anhui, Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong, and Hunan, with a total of 84 counties and 23 districts,
and nine percent of the Yangtze River area. Poyang Lake is a typical basin-type natural
depression in the north of Jiangxi Province, which is connected with Ganjiang River area,
Fei River area, Xinjiang River area, Rao River area, Xiushui area, and many other tributaries,
and is an important overwater, throughput, and seasonal shallow lake of the Yangtze River.

5.2. Contamination before Remediation

After the 1980s, there was still a large amount of deforestation in the Poyang Lake area.
The main forest resources in this basin are mainly coniferous forests, seventy-seven percent
of coniferous forests and 76% of coniferous forests, and only twenty-three percent of leafy
broad forests. Due to the acidification of coniferous forest soil, it is difficult for many plants
to grow and very difficult to form a water and soil conservation system with supporting
trees, irrigation, and grasses. The understory vegetation is very homogeneous and the
forest floor surface cover is less, containing mainly acidic coniferous and humus, which
makes it difficult to form effective water storage and water storage and to form effective
ecological protection.
Jiangxi is the province with the most serious soil erosion in the south of China, and
the soil erosion is focused on the middle and upper reaches of “Five Rivers” basin and
the Poyang Lake basin represented by the Poyang Lake; the soil erosion area reaches
336.12 × 105 thousand square meters at present, accounting for 95.5% of the total soil
erosion in China. The 210,104 × 104 t of suspended matter separated from the sloping
cultivated land and sparse residual forest leads to the siltation of the lake; 315.6 × 104 t
of sediment produced by the waste earth from mining, road construction, and natural
scouring leads to the siltation of the middle and upper reaches and ponds, reservoirs, weirs,
and dams. In addition, the total siltation of the lakes in the Yangtze River is 104.5 × 104 t
from July to September every year; many places are turned into land.
From the ecological environment condition of Poyang Lake, its ecological environment
problems are.
(1) The reclamation of the enclosed lake leads to the reduction of the lake area and the
decrease of the fishery production.
(2) Water pollution and water level change will affect the life of aquatic plants and
animals, thus affecting the biodiversity of wetland.
(3) Changes in the wetland landscape and a decline in plant and animal species and
numbers will have a direct impact on the development of ecotourism and economic
income
(4) Flooding has a huge impact on the regional economy.
In 1990, the arable land in Poyang Lake area was 412,236,000 hm2 , and in 2003,
the arable land in the whole area was only 376,193,000 hm2 . The main reasons for the
continuous decrease of arable land in the lake area are: (1) farmers occupy the land for
building houses; (2) soil erosion and floods destroy the arable land; (3) farmers burn bricks
and destroy the fields. At present, the quantity of destroyed fields by burning bricks reaches
4,670,000 hm2 every year, and this phenomenon can be seen everywhere in Poyang Lake
area.
The research results show that the clean soil in the agricultural soil of the Poyang
Lake area accounts for 1.57% of the total area. The clearer and cleaner soil accounts for
74.34%. The starting polluted soil accounts for 20.44%. Significantly polluted soil accounts
Sustainability 2022, 14, 13747 15 of 18

for 3.43%. Severely contaminated soil accounts for 0.22%. Nearly 1/4 of the agricultural
soils are contaminated. Over the last two decades, at least 50 to 60% of the agricultural soils
in the Lake District are currently contaminated.
Due to the rapid development of agriculture, agricultural production, and urbaniza-
tion, the pollutants brought by the lake runoff and the Yangtze River basin have caused
serious pollution to the local water bodies and have formed a very great impact on the
survival and reproduction of the organisms living and growing in the water. The water
quality of some waters from rivers into the lake exceeds the standard, and the detection
rate is one hundred percent; it has a significant impact on the eutrophication process of
Poyang Lake.

5.3. Wetland Restoration Project Construction Practices

5.3.1. Strictly Enforce the Control of the Development Area of Wetlands to Preserve the
Habitat Space for Wildlife
The unscientific and unreasonable expansion and development, excessive reclama-
tion, and development degrade the function of wetland and deteriorate the ecological
environment. “According to local conditions” should be the important guideline for the
development and utilization of Poyang Lake wetland in the future. In recent years, the
development of County Yang Lake wetland has already had a certain scale; in the future,
the construction should be carried out in stages according to the specific situation, and
the ecological restoration and reconstruction should be carried out in the area that has
been changed, and corresponding measures should be taken. At the same time, we should
gradually realize the development of industry, agriculture, and the expansion of urbaniza-
tion, gradually establish a reasonable land layout, implement the return of farmland to
grass in areas that have caused serious damage to the ecological environment, change the
use of wetland resources to compensate for the decline in the area of arable land, impose
strict restrictions on the main wildlife habitats, and require the preservation of wetland
organisms to have a living space sufficient to live and breed.

5.3.2. Increase Financial Investment to Strengthen Research on Biodiversity

The wetland biological resources in Poyang Lake are rich and play a pivotal role in
reservoirs and flood control, etc. Various effective financing methods should be adopted
to increase the investment and input, especially using modern technology to monitor the
ecological environment of Poyang Lake comprehensively and establish the database of the
wetland ecosystem of Poyang Lake, and investigate further. The database of the ecosystem
of Poyang Lake, various types of species, ecological environment system investigation and
collection, protection and identification, etc. will be integrated into the unified management
and service, and based on this, a wildlife breeding and protection center for Poyang Lake
wetland will be established, and the wildlife species and quantity of Poyang Lake will be
improved gradually through advanced breeding technology, so as to explore a new way of
scientific and reasonable sustainable development.

5.3.3. Reasonable Development of Wetland Resources of Poyang Lake

1. Resolutely level the dike and flood, and return the farming to the lake. Restore the
wetland area of Poyang Lake and gradually restore the wetland ecosystem.
2. Develop and utilize the famous and excellent wild plant resources in the lake area
in an organized and high-level way, introduce excellent varieties, and establish an
artificial cultivation base.
3. Protect the water environment: industrial sewage, slag dust, pesticides and fertilizers,
and snail control agents discharged into the lake should be strictly managed, con-
trolled, and prevented from pollution according to the national permitted standards.
4. Srictly conserve the natural vegetation of the sandbar in the lake area, absolutely
prohibit grazing, deforestation and woodcutting on the sandbar. To rationalize layout,
plant trees and grasses, and establish a system of wind and sand control forests.
Sustainability 2022, 14, 13747 16 of 18

5. To protect the natural forest vegetation of five major rivers into the lake, fully imple-
menting the natural forest protection project in the Yangtze River basin and preventing
soil erosion is the key to protect the ecology of Poyang Lake wetland.

5.3.4. Launching Publicity and Education Legislation to Raise Public Awareness

Making citizens understand and participate in wetland work is the main influential
significance for the protection of various organisms in urbanized wetlands. At present,
the publicity and education of the ecological environment of Poyang Lake wetland is still
very backward, and the popularity is far from enough, due to the cultural quality of local
people and the gap in local economic development, which leads to problems such as a
lack of public awareness and frequent actions of damaging wetland. On this basis, we
should further strengthen communication and exchange with the surrounding areas of
Poyang Lake to make the public realize the importance of biodiversity protection, so as to
enhance the public awareness of ecological environment, and promote the protection and
development of Poyang Lake wetland through special laws and regulations.

5.3.5. Status of Restoration of Poyang Lake

Poyang Lake Wetland Park is the largest one in the country, with one thousand
and sixty-seven lakes; the fish in the lake are fresh and delicious, especially the various
delicious fishes such as the three fresh Poyang fish. As the most characteristic wetland
scientific research base in China, Poyang Lake National Wetland Park has built Poyang
Lake Wetland Science Park based on the natural conditions of Poyang Lake, which fully
displays the largest wetland resources in China. It dedicates a most intuitive, and easy, as
well as effective, understanding platform for the general public to understand wetlands
and promote wetland conservation by collecting, collecting, displaying, and studying the
physical objects of wetland ecology and wetland cultural heritage. The establishment of
the Science Park has served the function of public learning. In the vast wetland area, there
are many kinds of vegetation, which release a large amount of carbon dioxide gas through
photosynthesis. Poyang Lake National Wetland Park has rich wildlife resources, including
249 species of wild vertebrates; 141 species of vascular wetland plants; 108 species of fish;
132 species of birds, accounting for 98% of the total number of wetland migratory birds in
the world, and more than 4000 white cranes; 98% of white cranes and hundreds of swans
choose to spend winter in Poyang Lake every winter, which is a spectacular sight. It is
called “Paradise of cranes and hometown of swans”. (see Table 7).

Table 7. List of wetland types in Poyang Lake National Wetland Park.

Proportion in Total Proportion in Total

Land Type Area (ha)
Wetland Area (%) Land Area (%)
Lake 12,920.9 36.8 35.6
Rivers 1125.8 3.2 3.1
Natural wetland Grass island 4312.2 12.3 11.9
Mudflat 13,624.5 38.8 37.5
Island 276.0 0.8 0.8
Inundation 1866.6 5.3 5.1
Pond 275.9 0.8 0.8
Constructed wetland
Irrigated land 714.2 2.0 0.8
Woodland 27.5 - 0.1
Other land 1141.4 - 3.1
Sustainability 2022, 14, 13747 17 of 18

6. Conclusions
China only started wetland research in the 1950s, but still no sound theory has been
formed so far, and the progress of research is uneven for various different types of wetland
ecosystems. We suggest that in the future, in addition to the application of high technology,
research on different aspects should be strengthened, and new progress is expected to be
made.
In this study, we examine wetland conservation methods, wetland restoration and
wetland reconstruction methods, sustainable development methods, governance methods,
and the relationship with drought. We found that the concept and division of wetlands
have not yet formed a relatively complete definition and related classification system; we
also comprehensively survey and compile wetlands and their resources, and scientifically
map urbanized wetlands. At present, the productivity and carrying capacity of wetlands in
our country are still in the initial stage of development and need to be further improved
and improved.

Author Contributions: Conceptualization, Z.L. and D.G.; Data curation, L.M.; Investigation, B.X.;
Methodology, Q.H.; Resources, L.F.; Visualization, D.G. All authors have read and agreed to the
published version of the manuscript.
Funding: This research received no external funding.
Institutional Review Board Statement: Not applicable.
Informed Consent Statement: Not applicable.
Data Availability Statement: The experimental data used to support the findings of this study are
available from the corresponding author upon request.
Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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