The wetlands of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) support globally important biodiversity values and ecosystem services which support the livelihoods of millions of people. The PRC’s wetlands provide critical habitats for over 210 species of waterbirds to rest and refuel, as well as water, flood protection, carbon sequestration, and other resources for human communities. Many of these values are under threat, from agriculture, development, hunting, and other factors. The government, supported by civil society organizations (CSOs), development agencies, and other stakeholders, is undertaking comprehensive efforts to conserve wetlands, yet these efforts are challenged by climate change, rising human populations, limited financing, and other issues. There is a need to scale up these efforts, through large-scale regional initiatives that emphasize partnerships. 

PRC support and participation is critical to the success of the RFI. Representatives from the PRC’s National Forestry and Grassland Administration and Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) attended the webinar in October 2020; and the RFI was briefly introduced by ADB at two national pre-COP15 events arranged by MEE: during a Business and Biodiversity Forum on 6–7 June 2021 and at a subforum of the Eco Forum Global Guiyang on 12 July 2021. 

The RFI was formally launched at the 15th Conference of the Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15) in October 2021, Kunming, Yunnan Province, PRC.  A next step is to facilitate national dialogue to plan and implement the RFI in the PRC.

Workshop Objectives

1. Introduce and raise awareness of the RFI among key national agencies as well as CSOs, donors, and development agencies supporting wetland management in the PRC.

2. Learn from current and previous wetland projects: achievements and challenges.

3. Help identify next steps to plan and implement the RFI in the PRC.