Recent global research on wetlands reveals that China has nearly 40 million hectares of wetland, the most in Asia and the fourth in the world.   

It includes more than 36 million hectares of natural wetland, including marshland, lakes, beaches and salt marshes.

China has built more than 350 nature reserves for the protection of wetlands.

The reserves play a valuable role not just in protecting water resources but also in providing winter and breeding habitats for migrant birds and other fauna.

(CRI January 29, 2004)