Recently, the public announcement of the adjustment to the functional area of the Tianjin Beidagang National Wetland Nature Reserve has aroused widespread concern, the most striking of which is that the core area of the reserve has all been transferred to an experimental area, and the land reallocated to the core area is less than half of the original area and highly fragmented.

Beidagang Wetland is the largest "Wetland Nature Reserve" in Tianjin and an important stop on the East Asia--Australia migration route, one of the eight most important migratory routes for migratory birds in the world. In 2020, Beidagang Wetland was included in the List of Wetlands of International Importance, becoming one of the 64 wetlands of international importance in China. The construction of the project should fully consider the adverse impact on ecology and migratory birds, and all aspects need to be fully and scientifically proven.

The Research Department of CBCGDF responded positively and, after internal discussions, raised the following 3 questions about the rationale for the adjustment to the functional area of the Beidagang Wetland Reserve and the adjustment plan.

1.According to the now published functional area adjustment plan of the reserve, the former West Reservoir of Beidagang Reservoir is adjusted to the experimental area, while the areas of internationally important wetlands, Shajingzi, Li Erwan, coastal mudflats and shallow waters are transferred to the core area and buffer area. After the adjustment and replacement, the core area of the original protected area would be reduced or shrink by 6209 hm2, and the core area of the protected area would only be 47.3% of the pre-adjustment area, which is less than half. If we consider the change of the buffer area adjustment, the area of the typical local wetland ecology protection would shrink significantly. The adjusted core area of the protected area and the buffer area could only be 34.2% in total of the pre-adjustment protected area, which is less than 1/3. The newly adjusted core area is small in size and scattered and highly fragmented, both of which would greatly damage the protection function of the wetland ecology undertaken by the national reserve and affect the stopping and feeding of dozens or even millions of migratory birds every year, making the reserve exist in name only and fail to play the function of ecological protection, and directly lose the positioning of the reserve.

2. Based on the completion of the first phase of the Yellow and Bohai Sea heritage application, Beidagang Wetland has been included in the list of national important wetlands, and the Tianjin Beidagang Wetland Nature Reserve Management Plan (2020-2025) also specifies that the objective of Beidagang Wetland Nature Reserve will be to build a wetland of international importance and a world natural heritage with wetland protection and bird protection as the core, and bird watching as the feature. This adjustment of the functional area of the nature reserve conflicts with the management plan of the Beidagang Nature Reserve, which has already been completed, and will also directly affect the declaration of the second phase of the World Natural Heritage in the region.

3. The Beidagang Reservoir assumes the function of South-to-North Water Diversion, while it is also the largest wetland in Tianjin, an important station on the East Asia-Australia migration route, one of the eight important migration routes for migratory birds in the world, and the richest biodiversity area in the region, and assumes an important ecological protection function. It is necessary to conduct strict investigation and demonstration on which areas to transfer out and which plots to replace in, rather than simply adding or subtracting from the area. And how to balance water demand for socio-economic development with ecological safety and security is what we truly need to take into consideration for this adjustment of the functional area of the nature reserve.

Accordingly, China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF) recommends that development and expansion of the reservoir be put on hold until it is determined that there are no significant adverse impacts on the local ecosystem.

The above suggestions have been sent to the management committee of the protected area in the form of official documents, and the follow-up feedback and actual implementation will be continuously followed and broadcasted for you by CBCGDF Media.

From:CBCGDF

Writer/Samantha

Review/Maggie

Translator/Samantha

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