Haikou wins the honor as one of the first group of international wetland cities at the 13th Conference of the Parties to the International Convention on Wetlands held in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates on October 25, which is a crucial gold-lettered signboard for the city's ecological protection. Eighteen cities from seven countries around the world received this title, six of which are from China.
Haikou has been called 'water city' since ancient times, and its wetland resources are rich and diverse. In recent years, the People's Government of Haikou city has thoroughly studied and implemented President Xi Jinping's thought of ecological civilisation, actively practised the concept of "green water and green mountains are golden mountains and silver mountains." This is committed to the protection and restoration of wetlands as a livelihood project for building a happy home for the people and constructing a green infrastructure of the city. It also pursues to maintain the ecological barrier for the sustainable development of Haikou and to retain the necessary conditions for the vitality of the internationalised riverside coastal garden city.
Wen Bin, deputy mayor of Haikou, said that an excellent ecological environment is the most significant capital and core competitiveness of Haikou's development. Obtaining the international wetland city is not only an affirmation of Haikou's green environmental protection work but also an incentive and spur.
The title of International Wetland City represents the ecological achievements of a city. It is an international award for highly recognized in the protection of wetlands. It is an international ecological signboard with international influence. The International Wetland City Certification is valid for six years.
Source: The People's Government of Haikou City
