China achieves net increase in mangrove areas

China is among the few countries in the world that has achieved a net increase in mangrove areas, signaling the effectiveness of its marine ecological conservation and restoration efforts.

Mangroves, often referred to as "coastal guardians", are essential ecosystems that contribute significantly to biodiversity conservation, carbon sequestration and protection against coastal erosion and storm surges.

Since 2021, China has planted approximately 8,800 hectares of new mangroves and restored 8,200 hectares of existing ones. This expansion has brought the total mangrove area in the country to 30,300 hectares, marking a 38 percent increase compared to the early 2000s.

Mangrove conservation and restoration is part of China's marine environmental protection and restoration endeavors in recent years, with other significant projects, such as the "Blue Bay" remediation, the comprehensive management and ecological restoration of the Bohai Sea, and coastal zone protection and restoration consistently implemented, leading to a steady improvement in the quality of its marine ecosystems.

Since 2016, the central government has allocated 31.8 billion yuan (about $4.4 billion) to facilitate the restoration of 1,780 kilometers of coastline and 795,000 mu (approximately 53,000 hectares) of coastal wetlands.

Meanwhile, China has also been continuously enhancing its marine environmental conservation and restoration planning framework. It has introduced and implemented several strategic plans, including the Plan for Major Projects on the Protection and Restoration of Coastal Zone Ecosystems (2021-2035), the Plan for Marine Eco-Environmental Protection During the 14th Five-Year Plan Period, the Special Action Plan for Mangrove Conservation and Restoration (2020-2025), and the Special Action Plan for Spartina Alterniflora Control (2022?2025), underscoring the country's commitment to sustainable marine environment management.