New global accolade! Suzhou accredited as int'l wetland city

Suzhou received an international wetland city certificate of accreditation at the wetland city accreditation ceremony on July 24 during the 15th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties (COP15) to the Ramsar Convention held in Zimbabwe. Suzhou was among nine new Chinese cities and the third batch in the world to receive this honor. This marks another international accolade for Suzhou following the successful inscription of its classical gardens on the World Heritage List in 1997.

The title of International Wetland City represents the highest honor for a city's efforts in wetland conservation. The rigorous selection process requires nomination by national governments and subsequent approval by the Independent Advisory Committee (IAC) for Wetland City Accreditation.

Suzhou boasts over 400 lakes, more than 20,000 rivers, 158 kilometers of Yangtze River shoreline, an 82-kilometer section of the Grand Canal, and three-quarters of the water area of Taihu Lake. Its total wetland area spans 3,190 square kilometers and accounts for approximately 40 percent of the city's total area, solidifying its reputation as a city built on wetlands.

Facing the resource and environmental challenges posed by rapid urbanization, Suzhou has pioneered a series of groundbreaking initiatives in wetland conservation.

It enacted the Regulation for Wetland Protection in Suzhou , the first of its kind in Jiangsu province. It also launched a wetland ecological compensation mechanism, allocating 150 million yuan annually to 204 villages adjacent to key wetlands. The cumulative funding has exceeded 1.4 billion yuan over the past 15 years. In terms of ecological monitoring and ecosystem restoration, Suzhou has introduced an innovative evaluation system where bird diversity serves as a core indicator of the health of wetland ecosystem.

Under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, Suzhou launched its international wetland city initiative in 2022, consistently prioritizing this goal in its government work reports for three consecutive years. With the goal of creating an epitome of "harmonious coexistence between cities, people, and wetlands," Suzhou has achieved remarkable milestones, with 103 key wetlands recognized at provincial and municipal levels, 21 wetland parks established, 133 wetland protection areas designated, 13 drinking water source reserves protected, and six aquatic germplasm resources protection zones built.

Its wetland protection rate has surged from 8 percent (2010) to 72.8 percent (2025), ranking first in Jiangsu province and among the top in the country. Over 100 species of wild birds have occurred in the past decade. The city now boasts 418 species of wild birds, with 17 wetlands meeting the quantity standards of waterfowl in wetlands of international importance. The restoration project of Tianfu National Wetland Park has been listed in the 100+ Global Best Practices for Biodiversity.

During COP15, the Suzhou delegation made a keynote speech themed "The Suzhou Approach of Wetland Cities," sharing the city's practices in harmonizing economic development with ecological conservation, which garnered global attention.

Source: 引力播 (Yinlibo app), 苏州园林官微 (WeChat ID: suzhou-yllh)