According to the Gansu Provincial Forestry Department, three wetland parks have recently been approved by an assessor panel of national wetland parks. Accordingly, the province will have seven national wetland parks in total, gscn.com.cn, the official website of Gansu Provincial People’s Government, reported on Feb 25.

The three parks are Jiayuguan Caohu Lake Wetland Park, Jiuquan Huacheng Lake Wetland Park and Kangxian county Meiyuan River Wetland Park, which play significant roles in the region’s eco-environment and the protection of biological diversity.

Covering an area of 1,379 hectares, Jiayuguan Caohu Lake Wetland Park is located in the northern basin of Hexi Corridor, the historical route in Gansu, as part of the Northern Silk Road. The wetland is effective in the homogenization of flood, water purification and regional climate regulation. It is also a crucial route for bird migration.

Huacheng Lake Wetland Park covers an area of 559 hectares and is located in Suzhou district in Jiuquan city, which contains various wetland types such as marshes, rivers and scrub.

Kangxian county Meiyuan River Wetland Park, which is situated in Longnan city, covers an area of 555.8 hectares. With a complete eco-system structure and functions, the wetland is important for water conservation and local sustainable social and economic development.