China's first regulation on wetland becomes operational on Friday in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, which has one sixth of the country's wetlands.

Han Liansheng, director of the Forestry Department of Heilongjiang provincial government, said the regulation provides a legal basis for the province to protect wetland.

 

He said 90 percent of the province's wetlands of 6 million ha, will be made nature reserves or sanctuaries.

 

Experts say the wetlands play an important role in regulating climate, improving the ecological environment, and are home to endangered wildlife.

 

The new regulation is also expected to help reclaim wetland resources and protect them from commercial and agricultural development.

 

(Xinhua News Agency August 1, 2003)