The Ruoergai Wetland National Nature Reserve in Aba Tibetan-Qiang Autonomous Prefecture of southwest China's Sichuan Province has seen significant improvement in its ecological environment in recent years.
Established in 1994, the nature reserve aims to protect the local peat swamp ecosystem, which is home to rare species such as the black-necked crane.
Known for vast grassland dotted with winding rivers, lakes and swamps, the wetland became a national-level reserve in 1998 and was designated as a wetland of international importance in 2008.
The ecological environment of protected areas has witnessed a continuous improvement in recent years as the local government implemented substantial measures in ecological protection, while also striving to improve local people's livelihood.
As an important water conservation area, the Ruoergai Wetland takes up about 29 to 50 percent of the water replenishment to the Yellow River from its upper reaches. It also serves as a crucial atmospheric carbon sink region, with 7.1 billion cubic meters of peat storage.
Sichuan achieves improvement in wetland protection
