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On 27 November 2007, the “Japan-China International Workshop: The Wetlands of China” was held at the Japan International Cooperation Agency. Here, Mr. Chen Kelin, Programme Director at Wetlands International China made a presentation on the wetlands of China.

Mr. Chen spoke of the current state of, and threats facing wetlands in China, which are disappearing at an alarming rate. Of greatest concern is access to clean water, he explained, which is threatened by desiccation of rivers, sandstorms and water pollution. To illustrate, in the northern half of the country, the situation has worsened to the point that this region accounts for a mere 22% of China’s water resources. In areas where there is water however, pollution has rendered it unusable, further exacerbating China’s water shortages.

Sandstorms are another major issue in China, causing widespread damage reaching as far away as Japan with deposits of yellow sand. Their frequency of occurrence has been increasing annually, plaguing some areas for 2 months of the year. If this trend continues, greater damage may be seen in Japan as well. However, taken the other way, Japan is not completely inculpable. Indeed, Japan is partially responsible for the loss of wetlands at the root of desertification in China. Japan relies heavily on China for food imports and has established many factories on Chinese soil. As a result, wetlands are reclaimed and factories release vast quantities of pollutants and carbon dioxide.

Concluding remarks for this informative workshop were given by Mr. Ootsuka of the Institute of Developing Economies, who stressed that although Japan and China have similarities and differences in experiences, wetlands in general cannot be protected without greater shared understanding and cooperation.