Environmentalists Sound Alarm Over Sea Reclamation Project

Environmentalists are raising concerns over a proposed sea reclamation project in Shantou, located in South China's Guangdong province, due to its possibly devastating ecological impacts. This project involves converting a 31.8-square-kilometer area of the sea into land, roughly equivalent to the size of the Macao Special Administrative Region. This area is located near the Han River estuary, home to vast coastal wetlands that serve as habitats for endangered species and important stopovers for migratory birds. [para. 1][para. 2]

The Liuhewei project is part of a larger initiative by the Guangdong provincial government to reclaim a total of 177 square kilometers of sea into land across at least ten projects. These projects are still in the planning stages and are yet to undergo mandatory environmental assessments to determine their suitability. There's uncertainty about whether these projects have final approval or the intended use of the reclaimed land. [para. 3][para. 4]

Shantou has a history of sea reclamation, with prior projects resulting in environmental degradation. This project is located near the Port of Shantou and the Shantou Lingang Large Industrial Park, which seeks to attract industries like advanced materials, medicine, and digital information. After reclamation scandals in Hainan in the 2010s, China tightened regulations in 2018 to protect coastal wetlands, stating new reclamation projects should not proceed unless part of nationally significant initiatives. [para. 5][para. 6]

The Cross-border Environment Concern Association (CECA) has raised legal issues with the Liuhewei project, noting regulations prohibit construction that destroys mangrove and coral reef ecosystems. The NGO estimates around 7,632 square meters of mangrove wetlands could be lost. The project could also threaten habitats of protected bird species and the Chinese white dolphin, raising concerns about policy violations. Environmentalists warn about impacts on carbon-absorbing ecosystems like mangrove wetlands, seagrass meadows, and salt marshes. [para. 7][para. 8]

The Han River estuary is one of China’s top ten coastal wetlands, noted for its biodiversity and ecological significance. CECA researchers have observed endangered black-faced spoonbills and other crucial species in the area, indicating the wetland's importance. The Liuhewei project risks harming these birds that are loyal to their habitats, according to CECA and Guan Lei from the SEE Foundation. [para. 9][para. 10][para. 11]

The Chinese white dolphin, a vulnerable species, is at risk due to habitat loss from the project. With an already dwindling population, only 12 dolphins remained in Shantou as of 2024, and further habitat erosion could be catastrophic. Loss of habitat could disrupt migration routes and food sources for this species, worsening its survival prospects, warned Zheng Ruiqiang and other experts. [para. 12][para. 13][para. 14]

The proposed project endangers local seagrass meadows, mangrove wetlands, and tidal marshes — critical blue carbon ecosystems that mitigate climate change by storing carbon. The area is near Guangdong's second-largest seagrass bed, habitat to the endangered Halophila beccarii. Reclamation could destroy these environments and change local tide flow, potentially affecting even those outside the immediate project zone, cautioned Zhao Peng, a marine sciences researcher. [para. 15][para. 16]