China Passes Long-Awaited Law on Protecting Wetlands

China has passed its first law that is specifically designed to protect the country’s vast wetlands, prohibiting illegal occupation and activities that harm the ecosystem in a bid to conserve and restore the “kidneys of Earth,” as the country increases efforts to prioritize environmental protection.

The Wetlands Protection Law (link in Chinese), which fills the prolonged absence of a specific national law on the valuable but fragile ecosystem, stipulates that the country’s wetland areas would be managed and classified as “general” or “important” based on factors including its ecological function and biodiversity.