Shenzhen to build world’s first International Mangrove Center
On Nov. 8, the Standing Committee of the Shenzhen Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China pointed out that the preparation of the founding of the International Mangrove Center should be promoted with high standards and high quality. International exchanges and cooperation on ecological protection and governance should be strengthened in an all-round way in the city to create a new "ecological business card" of Shenzhen.
On Nov. 13, the 14th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (COP14) concluded in Wuhan, Hubei province, and the sub-venue in Geneva, Switzerland. The conference adopted the draft resolution on establishing an International Mangrove Center within the Framework of the Ramsar Convention.
The document proposes that China welcomes other countries interested in the project to jointly establish an international mangrove center, with the protection, restoration and rational use of mangrove and coastal blue carbon ecosystems as its focus. The resolution encourages all interested parties, NGOs and social organizations to participate voluntarily in the establishment and operation of the center in an open, inclusive and transparent manner and encourages the center to work closely with and support other global mangrove mechanisms.
China's International Mangrove Center, the first of its kind in the world, will be set up in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, according to officials from the wetland management department of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration.
Experts say that China's proposal to establish an international mangrove center in Shenzhen will be of great significance to the conservation and restoration of mangroves, scientific research and sustainable development worldwide. The center's establishment also reflects China's responsibility as a major country to participate in global governance and promote global action on wetland conservation.
As the city tree of Shenzhen, the mangrove is a critical wetland species and the cultural symbol of Shenzhen's spirit. The city has about 213.62 hectares of mangroves, mainly distributed in the Futian Mangrove Nature Reserve. Shenzhen Mangrove Wetland Museum (China Mangrove Museum) is a national museum jointly established by the National Forestry and Grassland Administration and Shenzhen Municipal Government.
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