Focus on Arts and Ecology

Phnom Penh claims that the Funan Techo Canal will give it greater economic autonomy, but Hanoi is concerned about the project’s environmental and security implications. 

Although not officially acknowledged, the Funan Techo Canal, a strategic infrastructure project designed to connect the Mekong River to the Cambodian coast, is causing friction between both Vietnamese and Cambodian authorities and academics in the lead-up to the anticipated ground-breaking later this year. Vietnamese newspapers and social media networks have been captivated by this contentious project. Some Vietnamese observers have even called for the halt of the project that they deem risky and opaque.

Concerns have also lingered among Vietnamese scholars and netizens regarding the canal’s potential environmental impacts, and, even more seriously, China’s possible military use of the canal. The China Road and Bridge Corporation, a major Chinese state-owned enterprise, will oversee this grand project under a build-operate-transfer scheme, intensifying speculations about the murky relationship between Phnom Penh and Beijing.

The Vietnamese government has repeatedly requested more information from Cambodia and consultations among Mekong stakeholders, including the Mekong River Commission, to mitigate the potential ecological impacts of the canal project on the Mekong River basin. In a meeting with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Neth Savoeun last week, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh articulated a desire to work closely with Cambodia and other Mekong nations to navigate the Mekong River toward harmonious interests and long-term prosperity.

Vietnam has “asked Cambodia to collaborate” on the project, stated Doan Khac Viet, deputy spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, during a press briefing last month. Le Thi Thu Hang, another Ministry spokesperson, subsequently took a softer line, noting that Vietnam was “highly interested” in the project and “respected the legitimate interests of Cambodia” in line with the 1995 Mekong Agreement. Hang also reiterated Vietnam’s support for Cambodia’s achievements and praised the “fine neighborliness, traditional friendship, comprehensive cooperation” that has characterized the bilateral relationship, presumably to allay Phnom Penh’s probable ire over Hanoi’s persistent expressions of concerns.

But Phnom Penh has been unwavering in its intention to move forward with the 180-kilometer canal. According to Cambodia’s Deputy Prime Minister Sun Chanthol, the project will create economic zones and bring benefits to the country in the areas of trade, tourism, urban planning, and construction, with very little negative impact. He added that the “canal will not be used for any foreign military, as it is against the Cambodian Constitution.” Cambodian newspapers communicated the government’s intent to build the canal by underlining the Cambodian authorities’ “unshakable commitment” to the project “despite objections from Vietnam and several outside parties.”

Cambodia has good grounds to maintain its resolve on its strategic project. With the Funan Techo Canal, the country hopes to reduce transportation costs instead of relying on the current route through Vietnamese ports, mitigate the cost of shipping containers from Phnom Penh to the sea, boost agricultural and aquacultural development, and create jobs for 10,000 Cambodian workers. Because of its small size, limited resources, and vulnerable location, Cambodia must find ways to increase its room for maneuver while seeking diplomatic backing and financial aid from regional powers, particularly China.

Central to Cambodia’s ambition and resolute stance is Prime Minister Hun Manet’s vision of increasing the country’s agency amid intensifying great power rivalry and strategic uncertainties. Last year, during his first overseas tour as prime minister, Hun Manet visited China, where he and Chinese President Xi Jinping vowed to reinforce their commitments towards “deepening China-Cambodia comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation and achieving high-quality and sustainable common development.” Close personal and state-to-state ties have evolved into the lauded “unbreakable” “ironclad friendship” between the two countries. This is particularly true given that former Prime Minister Hun Sen, the father of Hun Manet, is widely known for his staunch support of Cambodia-China relations.

Still, Hun Manet’s diplomatic outreach has extended beyond China. In December of last year, Hun Manet and his Japanese counterpart Kishida Fumio agreed to deepen security ties and signed seven memoranda of understanding on investment, trade, and other issues. On Manet’s European tour in January, Cambodia and France upgraded their bilateral relationship to a strategic partnership, and leaders from both sides underscored the need to double down on bilateral investment and trade. But Cambodia’s recent strides in mending ties with the United States is the most significant accomplishment. Despite long-standing concerns about Cambodia’s poor record of human rights and corruption, Washington has been more open to expanding investments in the country in the hopes of fostering fruitful collaboration on conservation, education, health, and other socio-cultural fields.

Hun Manet’s successes on this front have contrasted starkly with his father’s administration. Hun Sen, who handed the reins of power to Hun Manet in August last year, had trouble getting closer to the U.S., due to entrenched American perceptions of Hun Sen’s authoritarian style and U.S. concerns about democratic backsliding, political oppression, media censorship, and concerns about the presence of the Chinese military at Cambodia’s Ream Naval Base. Though bilateral trade between the two nations increased steadily, and the U.S. was a significant export market for Cambodia, diplomatic ties stayed stagnant due to the profound mutual distrust between Hun Sen and the U.S. government.

Cambodia’s recent diplomatic initiatives, particularly its creeping rapprochement with Western partners, are indicators of the incumbent administration’s efforts to enhance its agency. Though China remains a crucial partner of Cambodia and it might take years to boost Phnom Penh’s profile in the eyes of Western powers, Cambodia under Hun Manet has sought to diversify its friendships beyond China-centric economic ties and reduce the kingdom’s over-reliance on any one country. For a small state like Cambodia, a good strategy lies in tangible efforts to maintain its strategic autonomy through omnidirectional engagement with great and middle powers. The adjustment of the foreign-policy posture by Hun Manet’s government portrays Cambodia’s desire to secure the strategic space conducive to its development.

As for the Funan Techo Canal, the Cambodian government has remained resolute in its resolve to proceed with the planned project, without delay or negotiation with Vietnam. The canal project presents an opportunity for Cambodia’s young leader to establish himself as a steadfast advocate for the country’s national interests and to shore up his authority. At his swearing-in ceremony in August 2023, Hun Manet pledged to speed up development and enhance Cambodians’ livelihoods. The canal project is expected to bolster Cambodia’s self-reliance, drive its economic and social progress, and help the country reach its goals of becoming an upper-middle-income country by 2030 and a high-income country by 2050.

More than 17.4 million Vietnamese call the Mekong Delta, the nation’s primary granary, home, and so Vietnam has every reason to be worried about the canal’s possible impacts. The success of the canal operation depends on the stakeholders’ ability to communicate constructively and use reasonable calculations and well-formulated measures in their planning. However, Vietnam’s persistent appeals have failed to make Cambodia think twice about the Funan Techo Canal. Hence, both Vietnamese officials and ecological experts should be prepared with expert-led strategies and practical solutions to better cope with the environmental and ecological impacts that may result from the project. Given the apparent deadlock between the two Southeast Asian nations over the canal issue, the adage “God helps those who help themselves” certainly applies in this case.

Once considered allies in the resistance war against the United States, Cambodia and Vietnam have framed their ties with the mantra “good neighborliness, traditional friendship, comprehensive cooperation, and long-term stability.” But Cambodia and Vietnam are now grappling with the harsh realities of pragmatic politics, which has put this traditional relationship under strain and situated them on opposite sides of the canal issue. With Cambodia backed by China, and unwilling to back down, it is unlikely that the two countries can find common ground on a project that is infused with nationalistic importance.

Guest Author

Huynh Tam Sang

July 25, 2024 

In a white paper, the State Council Information Office has outlined China’s progress in marine law, pollution control, ecological restoration, low-carbon development, and other ocean-related topics.

Released this month, “China’s Marine Ecological Environment Protection” highlights the country’s designation of 150,000 sq km within marine “ecological redlines”. The country has also established 352 marine nature reserves, protecting approximately 93,300 sq km of marine areas, and is working on establishing five candidate marine national parks. The white paper states that this effort has aided the recovery of rare species such as the spotted seal, of which there are over 2,000 now wintering annually in Liaodong Bay.

Ecological redlines mark out areas deemed ecologically important and in need of protection. They include grasslands, wetlands, coral reefs, mangroves, and seagrass ecosystems. The 150,000 sq km under marine redlines align with the targets in the “National Biodiversity Conservation Strategy and Action Plan (2023-2030)” submitted as part of China’s commitment to the UN biodiversity convention. As not all ecological redline areas are under effective protection, they may or may not contribute to the global goal of protecting 30% of marine areas by 2030.

The white paper emphasises enhancing the level of green and low-carbon marine development. This includes more sustainable use of fishery resources, such as via extending the closed fishing seasons and expanding the scope of seasonal fishing bans. The paper also identifies marine ranching as a key area for growth. China has established 169 national marine ranching demonstration zones and is gradually shifting marine aquaculture from coastal to deep-sea areas, with the aim of promoting the conservation of fishery resources and greener aquaculture.

As well as ranching, green shipping and clean energy are key areas. Efforts are being made to use new energy in ports and ships, and to construct three green shipping corridors. The white paper mentions that by the end of 2023, China’s cumulative installed capacity of offshore wind power reached 38 gigawatts, accounting for about 50% of the global total, ranking first in the world for a fourth consecutive year.

The white paper concludes by stressing China's international cooperation in the marine sector, including restricting its fishers catches on certain parts of the high seas. Last September, China signed the High Seas Biodiversity Agreement (BBNJ). The paper notes that China has also signed intergovernmental and departmental marine cooperation agreements with over 50 countries and international organisations involved in the Belt and Road Initiative.

The white paper does not mention progress on illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, though previous documents have indicated that China recognises the important role of the Port State Measures Agreement (PSMA) in combating IUU fishing and is considering signing it.

(Sources: Dialogue Earth)

Enterprising Kenyans are rearing black soldier fly larvae to feed not just livestock, but also their growing aquaculture industry. 

By Jackson Ambole Okata, July 4, 2024

A group of young Kenyans has pinpointed an unusual solution to the problems of food waste and fish feed produced unsustainably from wild-caught fish stocks: maggots.

The larvae of the black soldier fly are devouring unwanted food in projects around the world. Their excrement, known as frass, can be used as a fertiliser for land-based crops, and their protein-rich bodies, harvested before they turn into flies, can be fed to livestock.

In Kenya, the environmentalists behind Project Mila, which in Swahili means tradition, are employing the larvae to clean up food waste, as well as nurture mangroves and feed fish in coastal farms.

Waste not, want not

Project Mila’s team of volunteers collect organic waste from households, markets and restaurants in the southeastern coastal city of Mombasa and feed it to voracious larvae, which produce frass while helping to clean up the city.

Nusra Abed, co-founder of Project Mila and a community health promoter, says she was “perturbed by the number of sanitation-related infections within the community due to poor waste management, and wanted to be part of the solution”.

According to a report by the UN Environment Programme, Kenya has some of the highest levels of household food waste in the world, producing between 40 and 100 kilogrammes per person annually.

Apart from alleviating the problem of food waste, the frass has also been helping small-scale farmers in the Mombasa area increase their crop growth and diversity. It enables farmers to diversify away from planting coconuts – a commonly grown crop which is slow to mature – into fast growing produce including onions, tomatoes and other fruits. This offers them the opportunity to earn extra income through farming that’s sustainable and organic, and selling their surplus harvest in markets, notes Roselyne Mwachia, a marine and fisheries researcher working with Project Mila.

The use of frass in farming has also made the activity less harmful for the environment and improved the catch of nearby fishers, fishing being the most common economic activity for people living along the Kenyan coast.

In areas like Mariakani and Mazeras, 38 kilometres west of Mombasa, upstream smallholder farmers were using chemical-based fertilisers prior to the switch to frass, which polluted the marine ecosystem when washed into the water after storms, explains Mwachia. “This affected… marine species, as well as caused bleaching of coral reefs and death of mangroves, seagrass and seaweeds,” she tells Dialogue Earth.

“Coral reefs are fertile breeding grounds for marine species, and when bleaching happens, it means breeding will be impacted and marine stocks will reduce,” she adds. But with farmers shifting to frass, Mwachia notes that “fishers around areas where we have worked are reporting reduced coral bleaching and increased fishing fortunes due to reduced pollution”.

Making more mangroves

As well as reducing the pollution reaching the sea, Project Mila is trying to cultivate healthy marine ecosystems more directly.

Kenya’s mangrove forests grow roots that protect the shoreline from erosion, provide a habitat for marine species, and are highly effective at locking up carbon dioxide. However, the country’s mangroves are steadily being eroded. Recent estimates are hard to come by, but between 1985 and 2010, Kenya lost an average of 0.7% of its mangrove cover annually, according to a 2011 study. The harvesting of firewood has been cited by Kenya’s Ministry of Environment as being one of the leading causes of mangrove deforestation in the country.

Many families along the coastline rely on mangroves as a source of fuel and charcoal to sell, says Ahmed Abeid, a Project Mila coordinator. “Having families engaged in alternative activities like organic farming is helping reduce the pressure [on mangroves].”

The project plans to start using the frass to make briquettes, which could replace mangrove wood as a fuel source, he adds.

Project Mila is also working directly to restore mangroves. Frass is used to nurture mangrove seedlings in nurseries, which are then planted out in areas prioritised by the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI) and the Kenya Forest Service due to their high levels of forest degradation. These zones include three creeks on the outskirts of Mombasa – Bidii, Turdo and Mtwapa.

Rose Chiteva, a senior research scientist at the Kenya Forestry Research Institute, says soldier fly frass has been helping mangroves to thrive: “Mangroves planted using frass are showing a faster growth and higher survival rate [as it] helps in neutralising the acidity of the soils within the mangrove forests.”

Spurring sustainable aquaculture

The maggots have also been attracting the attention of Kenya’s fish farmers.

Globally, aquaculture has gained a bad reputation for its unsustainability, especially relating to the widespread practice of turning wild-caught fish into food for captive-bred fish. But production of fish feed from fly larvae can potentially reduce dependence on traditional fishmeal derived from wild stocks, notes Mary Opiyo, a senior aquaculture research scientist at KMFRI, a state body.

“This is one way of promoting sustainable aquaculture and reducing overreliance on marine stock,” she says.

Kigen Compton is the founder of BioBuu, a company producing fish feed from black soldier fly larvae in Kenya and Tanzania. He says that “with easily accessible, available and affordable feeds, many farmers are shifting to sustainable aquaculture and moving away from wild fishing”.

The larvae have been catching on with aquaculture workers further afield, too.

In Colombia, rural populations are earning sustainable livelihoods through frass-fed insects which are being used as feed in fish farming, while a company in Finland says producing fish feed from the larvae is the “perfect solution” for future aquaculture. Researchers in the US recently made some calculations regarding the country’s aquaculture industry. They found that if soldier fly protein was fed to salmon, trout and shrimp to the maximum extent without impairing the fish, 40,843 tonnes of wild fish could be spared every year.

Flies in the ointment?

As the maggots take root in aquaculture, some see trouble ahead.

David Mirera, a senior research scientist at KMFRI, says there is a risk of disease if proper hygiene guidelines are not followed during the production of such fish feed.

“We do not have a clear regulatory framework and controls on black soldier fly rearing, and this might compromise the quality of feeds being produced, especially by those who are not professionals in the sector of feed formulation and production,” he says.

But many fish farmers in his country are already firm fans of the flies, citing their convenience and secure yields. Juma Mashanga is one of them. He helps lead a group of community fishers who are farming fish in cages in the Indian Ocean near Kwale, a town 30 kilometres south-west of Mombasa.

“With cages, there is a guarantee of harvesting at maturity, and the returns are good,” he says. “Sustaining the cages and feeding the fingerlings is manageable because we can process our [black soldier fly] protein feeds at home.”

Jackson Ambole Okata

Shenzhen’s mangrove restoration balances urban growth with conservation, but challenges remain to boost ecological revival. 

By Feng Yingxin, Soraya Kishtwari, July 11, 2024

Each spring, as Shenzhen’s mangroves burst into life, the region becomes a prime spot for birdwatchers observing the endangered black-faced spoonbill. Known as the giant panda of birds, this species winters in Shenzhen Bay from October to April, in preparation for its northbound migration.

Shenzhen Bay, located in southern China and part of the Pearl River Delta expanding into Hong Kong, is a crucial stop-off point for migratory birds using the East Asian-Australasian flyway. The mangroves support over 200 species of birds and host 100,000 migratory birds each winter, drawing enthusiasts and scientists alike to witness these natural spectacles against the backdrop of one of China’s most bustling urban settings.

Amid the rapid urbanisation that defines modern China, Shenzhen stands out not just for its “futuristic” skyline, but also for its efforts to reassert its ecological priorities. After significant mangrove losses due to aggressive development, Shenzhen’s mangrove recovery has been  “unprecedented”. This resurgence earned one of its wetlands a designation of international importance under the Ramsar Convention in 2022.

The city’s approach to conservation, involving robust policy enforcement and community engagement, illustrates how urban areas can successfully integrate significant ecological habitats, reversing ecological decline in vulnerable delta regions.

Historical ecological decline

Shenzhen’s transformation from a quaint fishing village in 1979 into a bustling international metropolis epitomises China’s rapid urbanisation. As the country’s first special economic zone, it spearheaded economic reforms, but at a significant environmental cost. Extensive land reclamation for commercial and residential development drastically reduced mangrove habitats to a low of 50 hectares in 1991.

The introduction of non-native, quick-growing tree species like Sonneratia apetala, intended as a quick-fix for mangrove restoration and coastal stabilisation, resulted in excessive growth and disrupted native biodiversity. This proliferation created destabilising monocultures, obstructed flood discharge channels and increased waterlogging, complicating flood management efforts.

Restoration efforts and policies

Shenzhen’s 260km-long coastline, fortified by mangroves, serves as the first line of defence against climate-related disasters. However, environmental stressors such as floods and waterlogging have undermined the coastlines’ structural integrity, diminishing the mangroves’ protective role.

Recognising this vulnerability, the city authorities reversed course in the 2020s, embracing a strategic approach that included selective tree reduction. Haichao Zhou, an associate researcher at Shenzhen University, serves on the conservation panel that recommended a nature-based restoration plan. This strategy, focused on systematically removing fast-growing invasive species, was recently adopted by the local government.

According to the city’s 2023 environmental report, Shenzhen created 12.72 hectares and restored 13.08 hectares of mangroves in 2022 by selectively cutting fast-growing Sonneratia apetala. Although this resulted in a brief fall in overall mangrove cover, it facilitated the regrowth of native species, enabling them to recolonise the wetlands.

“Through careful management practices such as those adopted in Shenzhen, including judicious thinning, selective logging and maintaining suitable hydrological conditions, native species can naturally recover, enhancing mangrove diversity,” Zhou told Dialogue Earth.

Central to Shenzhen’s success in restoring its mangroves is an integrated management strategy, combining a unique governance model with strict regulatory measures. Since 2018, the enforcement of land reclamation bans, which prohibit new coastal reclamations, particularly around mangrove forests, have significantly contributed to their protection.

The 2021 National Wetland Law further bolstered conservation efforts by providing a strong legal framework, which also prohibited unauthorised land reclamation, set “ecological redlines”, promoted mangrove restoration and sustainable use of wetland resources. The law mandates strict penalties for violations and underscores the importance of wetland biodiversity. In Futian district, mangroves have also proven effective in treating municipal sewage, demonstrating the multifaceted benefits of integrating natural ecosystems into urban infrastructure. Today, the city boasts nearly 35,000 hectares of wetlands, with 296.18 hectares reserved for mangroves.

The largest concentration of mangroves, covering around 100 hectares, is found in the Futian Mangrove National Nature Reserve. It forms a critical ecological corridor, connecting fragmented mangrove areas across urban spaces, facilitating bird migration, improving their survival rates and serving as natural barriers against urban encroachment.

Between 2000 and 2022, mangrove cover across Shenzhen Bay expanded significantly from 281.51 to 526.43 hectares, countering the global trend of mangrove loss.

Multi-stakeholder collaboration

East of the Futian nature reserve is the Futian Mangrove Ecological Park, a pioneering model of public resource management, highlighting the effectiveness of multi-stakeholder collaboration. Managed by the Mangrove Conservation Foundation (MCF) since 2015, it is China’s first government-mandated park managed by an NGO.

The MCF, founded in 2012 with support from 32 entrepreneurs and the Society of Entrepreneurs and Ecology – China’s first NGO formed of entrepreneurs dedicated to ecological protection and social responsibility – features a governance model with publicly elected trustees, ensuring robust accountability and community involvement.

Baohua Yan, the MCF’s secretary general, emphasised the foundation’s role in bridging conservation efforts between Shenzhen and Hong Kong, repurposing traditional fishponds, known as gei wai, into high-tide habitats for birds. “As gei wai aquaculture practices are no longer conducted in Futian Mangrove Nature Reserve, fishponds now require adjustments and adaptations from the ‘perspective of birds’,” she told Dialogue Earth.

Inspired by techniques from Hong Kong’s Mai Po Nature Reserve, the restoration of gei wai fishponds in the Futian nature reserve has converted them into diverse bird habitats, leading to an additional population of 28 water bird species and 13,737 individual birds.

“Shenzhen Bay has limited wetland space, it is unlikely that developed areas will be reconverted into wetlands. Our actions are aimed at maximising the ecological functionality of existing wetland resources,” said Yan.

Lili Sun, founder and deputy board chairwoman of MCF, has championed this innovative social participation model “to strengthen conservation efforts and enhance public resource management”.

The government oversees the park to ensure compliance with environmental policies and standards, providing support in funding, resources and technical assistance. This public-private partnership combines government oversight with NGO flexibility to achieve sustainable public resource management.

“Our work in managing the park and our involvement in community outreach illustrate the vital role NGOs play in bridging government efforts with public interest,” explained Sun. This engagement has increased local and visitor participation in birdwatching, leading to dedicated groups across Shenzhen. Today, Shenzhen boasts 10 provincial-level nature education bases, 22 nature schools and 27 nature education centres.

Sun’s comments were echoed by Yuying Ouyang, a local volunteer and nature-based educator. She told Dialogue Earth that increased birdwatching has raised awareness about mangrove wetlands. For example, public opposition successfully halted a local, controversial 2020 tourism cruise dredging project, which threatened mangroves and migratory birds, demonstrating the vital role public awareness and nature education play in conservation efforts.

“The public might have a different attitude towards cruise tourism without birdwatching and nature education,” said Ouyang. “They wouldn’t otherwise understand the significance of preserving a stretch of muddy flats.”

Assessing the success of restoration efforts

A key indicator of Shenzhen’s mangrove restoration success is the resurgence of the black-faced spoonbill population in Shenzhen Bay. Once critically endangered, this species now benefits from improved habitat conditions.

“During the 1980s, the global population of black-faced spoonbills dropped to fewer than 300 individuals. However, concerted conservation efforts across their migratory range have proved hugely successful,” explained Qijie Zan, a mangrove expert from the Futian nature reserve. A 2023 census reported a record 6,633 of these birds globally, with Shenzhen Bay alone hosting 299, making it the world’s third-largest habitat for the species.

Beyond wildlife benefits, mangroves offer critical ecosystem services such as coastal protection, carbon sequestration and water purification, contributing to climate change mitigation and resilience against natural disasters. According to one government report, every 100 hectares of mangroves in Shenzhen Bay absorbs nearly 4,000 tons of carbon dioxide annually. The rerouting of rain and sewage flow has improved water quality, increasing animal and microbial diversity and enhancing the ecosystem’s resilience against extreme weather events.

“Shenzhen’s comprehensive approach to environmental management has positioned it as a leader in urban sustainability,” said Ma Jun, director at the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs (IPE), an environmental organisation based in Beijing. Shenzhen has one of the lowest pollution rates in China. “Shenzhen’s initiatives have helped it perform very well on the [IPE] Beautiful City Index, underscoring the city’s role as a model for others to follow,” Ma added.

A positive side-effect of a population invested in birds is the shift in public attitudes towards conservation, subsequently influencing government policy on habitat preservation. In June, China’s National Development and Reform Commission released an action plan for migratory bird flyway protection and restoration, addressing critical challenges in southern China’s wetlands, including human interference, habitat fragmentation, degradation and invasive species. The plan aims to protect 90% of habitats along migratory bird flyways by 2030, establishing a comprehensive national conservation network.

There has been an increase in birdwatching that is not unique to Shenzhen. The number of birdwatchers across China has increased more than tenfold in the past decade, with the 2023 census putting the number of birdwatchers at 340,000, up from 20,000 in 2010.

Lu Li, head of the Wild Bird Society, a Beijing-based birdwatching group, highlighted the growing impact of this trend. “As birdwatching becomes more popular, people’s attitudes towards bird conservation and habitat protection improve,” she said. In places like Yunnan, Jiangsu and Beijing, birdwatchers have played a significant role in shaping policy advocacy and planning. She told Dialogue Earth: “Now, when the government undertakes certain projects, there is an increasing consideration to preserve habitats for birds.” Ultimately, what benefits birds also benefits people.

Future challenges to conservation efforts

Despite Shenzhen’s successes, multiple threats to its mangroves and bird populations remain. As the city expands, the pressure on natural habitats continues to intensify.

Sponge cities are one innovative solution that has emerged. These aim to address stormwater run-off in urban areas through green infrastructure, such as permeable pavements, green roofs, rain gardens and constructed wetlands. These measures help to prevent flooding and reduce pollutants that can harm waterways including wetlands and mangroves.

Jianbin Shi, a wetland expert at the Paulson Institute, noted that “industrial wastewater is perhaps the greatest threat to wetlands,” across the Pearl River Delta, where birds also face risks from colliding into skyscrapers. Historically, land reclamations have been used to curb rising house prices, a temptation that could return with increasing population pressures, despite existing regulatory bans. Although for now, the opposite seems to be true. Despite beating expectations with 5.3% GP in 2023, China’s economic recovery remains unsteady. With fewer houses being sold, the government is currently focused on encouraging house buying rather than resorting to land reclamation.

The long-awaited Shenzhen Wetland Protection Plan (2021-2035), which aims to enhance wetland protection and establish Shenzhen as an international wetland city, is still being drafted; a finalised version is not expected before July 2024. Making it available to the public will foster accountability and assist in strategic planning. Accelerating the timeline for the world’s first international mangrove centre, to be built in Shenzhen in collaboration with Ramsar, would also help.

Addressing these challenges will better position Shenzhen to navigate the complexities of urban development while maintaining its commitment to mangrove protection. In the meantime, ongoing public engagement and education programmes will help sustain conservation efforts, making environmental preservation a shared responsibility. The Futian Mangrove Ecological Park offers a template that promotes transparency, community participation and scalability for broader application in China and beyond.

Ma Jun emphasised the importance of continued commitment: “Shenzhen’s environmental strategy serves as a blueprint for sustainable urban development. Continued efforts in public education and technological integration will be crucial for future success.”

This article is a collaboration between Dialogue Earth and the Wilson Center’s China Environment Forum.

Feng Yingxin