人生就是搏

The 14th Conference of the Parties to the Wetlands Convention (COP14) officially ended in Wuhan on November 13, which was the first time that China hosted the Conference of the Parties to the Wetlands Convention. At the meeting, the Wuhan Declaration and the “Resolution on the Strategic Framework for Global Wetland Development” were adopted, which guided the direction of global action to protect wetlands and brought new impetus.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of China’s accession to the Wetlands Convention. The conference showed the world the achievements of China’s wetland protection in the past 30 years, and also put forward China’s proposal to promote the global action of wetland protection. At the meeting, it was proposed that China would build a national park of wetland type, implement the strictest protection for one fifth of wetlands, establish an “international mangrove center” in Shenzhen, establish a protection network for migratory birds in China, and pay attention to emerging areas with huge potential, such as small and micro wetlands.

The harmonious coexistence of man and nature is also the core of ZEHO ECO’s determination and value to conserve wetlands over the past 25 years. For a long time, ZEHO ECO adheres to the top-level design concept of Nature-based Solutions (NbS), respects the natural succession law of wetlands, advocates flexible design, allows nature to work, and maximizes the power of nature to solve natural problems.

In recent years, ZEHO ECO has focused on the research, development and innovation of wetland technology. It has successively published 25 wetland patent technologies, 7 intelligent wetland management software works, innovatively researched and developed ecological conservation type river lake wetlands, enhanced purification type artificial wetlands, and habitat restoration type coastal wetlands. They pay attention to the transformation and application of wetland technology achievements, and have achieved good ecological benefits in practice. ZEHO ECO pays attention to the intelligent construction of wetland management. They have successively implanted a wetland intelligent management system platform in the artificial wetland in the north of Yongning Road of Yitong River and the Putian Blue Bay, realizing the automatic monitoring system and decision-making management system of wetlands.

Intelligent management system platform of Yitong River Yongning Road North constructed wetland

Putian Blue Bay (North Bank) Ecological Environment Big Data Platform

Among the three major wetland product types of ZEHO ECO, ecological conservation type river and lake wetlands pay attention to the rational layout of blue and green ecological space, recover the river and lake wetland ecosystem through ecological reconstruction, auxiliary regeneration, natural recovery, conservation and other measures, and gradually form a self managed ecosystem capable of self maintenance, strong interference resistance, and dynamic balance.

River lake wetland

Strengthen purified constructed wetlands, pursue scientific and technological innovation based on traditional wetland processes, develop innovative derived wetland types such as mixed flow wetlands and intermittent wetlands, optimize wetland hydraulic retention time, strengthen media adsorption and microbial absorption, and improve the purification capacity of phosphorus and nitrogen removal of ecological measures, besides typical surface flow, horizontal flow and vertical subsurface flow wetland types.

Vertical subsurface flow wetland

The habitat restoration coastal wetland combines the characteristics of seawater and tides in the coastal waters, and uses ecological engineering technology to build a wetland herb habitat, a tidal habitat, a mangrove habitat, and a benthic microbial habitat from high tide level to low tide level, to link the material and energy flow between the ocean and the shoreline, and to improve the coastal biomass and biodiversity.

Coastal wetland

After years of hard work, ZEHO ECO has made remarkable achievements. From the ecological wetland in the buffer zone of Erhai Lake in Dali, to the ecological wetland at the entrance of Tanghe River in Xiong’an New Area, and then to the Xiaohe River Wetland in Shanxi, as a domestic benchmark ecological conservation type river and lake wetland construction project, all of them show a beautiful prospect of harmonious coexistence between human and nature.

As a sacred natural heritage, Erhai Lake has been squeezed and occupied by the long-term disorderly development of the city, and the proportion of blue and green is unbalanced. Based on the concept of NbS, ZEHO ECO has restored the buffer zone of Erhai Lake to its natural state by taking measures such as reshaping the natural space, maintaining a healthy shoreline, and forming a sustainable self-management system. The “lost” habitat spaces such as lake beaches and wetlands have not only reduced the pollution load into the lake but also improved the “beauty” of Erhai Lake, Dali’s sound social, economic natural composite ecosystem is gradually taking shape.

Dali Erhai Lakeside Buffer Zone Ecological Wetland

The Tanghe Lake Entrance Wetland in Xiong’an New Area, based on the restoration concept of human lake symbiosis, has played a key role in the process of comprehensively improving the water quality of Baiyang Lake from the inferior Class V in 2017 to the Class III in 2021 by taking measures such as returning farmland to wetland, hydrological based terrain remodeling, and water quality assurance. It has also constructed a variety of biological habitats, and the species such as green headed diving ducks, water juveniles, and bittern fish that have not been seen for many years reappear in Baiyang Lake.

Tanghe Lake Entrance Ecological Wetland in Xiong'an New Area

In strict accordance with the design principle of “ecological priority, water conservancy priority, natural protection, minimum intervention and sustainable development”, Shanxi Xiaohe Wetland has scientifically protected and restored the water body, landform, animal and plant resources, history and culture of the wetland, turning it from a butterfly in the coal mining subsidence area into a national wetland park and a 4A tourist attraction, and has won the reputation of “the kidney of filial piety”.

Xiaohe Wetland in Shanxi

In mangrove wetlands and micro wetlands, which became a hot word on COP14, ZEHO ECO also has successful practical experience.

Nansha Lingshan Island Peak intertidal coastal wetland has 17 intertidal vegetation varieties after restoration, including 8 mangrove and semi mangrove plants, 9 aquatic plants, and 6 benthos including fiddler crabs. The intertidal mangroves are like a chain of jade necklaces, forming an atmospheric and natural picture of the outer river green bank.

Nansha Lingshan Island Peak Intertidal Coastal Wetland

The first intelligent vertical subsurface flow wetland in Northeast China - the enhanced purification artificial wetland in the north of Yongning Road on the Yitong River and the Xuzhou Longgu artificial wetland, which has also achieved the restoration of the coal mining subsidence area and the deep purification of the sewage plant tailwater, are typical excellent representatives of small and micro wetlands. ZEHO ECO will continue to make efforts in these emerging areas to better meet the needs of the times and society.

Intensified Purification Constructed Wetland in the North of Yongning Road

Xuzhou Longgu Constructed Wetland

Whether it is technology research and development, or project implementation, whether it is past construction achievements, or preparation for future wetland protection, ZEHO ECO has always kept in mind its original intention in the past 25 years, and has given excellent answers in the wetland field. In the future, ZEHO ECO will continue to follow the needs of the times, undertake historical and social responsibilities, continue to deeply cultivate wetland protection and restoration, and help China tell the wetland story of the new era.