The Hunan Provincial People’s Government recently announced the second batch of provincial-level key wetlands. Yueyang has three wetlands on the list – the Donghu Lake wetland in Huarong County; the Miluo River wetland in Miluo City; and, the Yangsha Lake – Donghu Lake wetland in Xiangyin County.

Yueyang, a key ecological functional area of Hunan Province, has abundant resources of migrant birds and wetland plants. There are 18 bird species under first-class state protection, and 64 species under second-class state protection. There is one wetland plant species under first-class state protection, and 6 under second-class state protection.

The East Dongting Lake Wetland is Hunan’s only national-level wetland reserve, one of China’s 51 demonstration reserves, and one of China’s 21 designated internationally key wetland natural reserves. It is mainly for the protection of wetland and rare birds. Hence, Yueyang is reputed as a “city of bird watching in China” and the “most worth-recommended Chinese eco-friendly city in China by foreign embassies to the world”.

The three shortlisted wetlands will strictly implement Hunan’s wetland protection regulations, designate protection areas as soon as possible, and enhance wetland protection and management, to give a full play to their ecological service function.

Source: en.yueyang.gov.cn