At the 64th meeting of the Standing Committee of the Ramsar Convention, which was held recently in Switzerland, the addition of 31 cities to the Wetland City Accreditation program was announced. Yueyang City in Hunan Province made the list. 

The accreditation of International Wetland Cities by the Ramsar Convention is the highest honor for the ecological protection of urban wetlands. China currently has 22 accredited wetlands, ranking first globally.

Yueyang boasts over 1,600 square kilometers of Dongting Lake water area and more than 280 rivers, forming 2,849.15 square kilometers of wetlands that account for 19.18% of its total area. Through comprehensive management, wetland restoration, and landscape renovation, the city has established 46 wetland protected areas, including 14 nature reserves and 6 wetland parks, achieving a wetland conservation rate of 67.27%. Yueyang's wetlands demonstrate a favorable ecological environment, home to 378 bird species including 18 species of first-class and 74 of second-class nationally protected birds.

A wetland in Yueyang City. (Photo provided by the Hunan Department of Forestry) 

Previously, Changde was the only city in Hunan honored with such accreditation, boasting 138,500 hectares of wetlands under protection and achieving a wetland conservation rate of 52.19%. Its wetlands such as the Chuanzi River, Liuye Lake, and Taohuayuan have been recognized as national models showcasing harmonious coexistence between humans and wetlands.