Xiamen's wetland restoration a great example, says special envoy to UN

The wetland restoration project in Xiamen, East China's Fujian province, has set an example to the world for "making peace with nature", said Peter Thomson, the UN Secretary-General's special envoy for the ocean.

He made a second visit to Xiatanwei Coastal Wetland Park, five years after his first, as part of his trip to the 2023 World Ocean Week in Xiamen, which concludes on Wednesday.

"We can't have a healthy planet without a healthy ocean and the ocean's health is currently measurably in decline. So that is why we are giving so much attention to ocean action and it's why projects like the Xiatanwei mangrove restoration are of such great interest to me," said Thomson.

The park has artificially reconstructed about 85 hectares of mangroves since the government-funded project was launched in 2010.

The latest survey data show that there has been a significant increase in the number of species and biomass in the area.

"The restoration of nature is part of the peace process with nature and projects like the Xiatanwei mangroves is a great piece of initiative," said Thomson.

The vibrant atmosphere at the park brought back fond memories of his childhood in Fuji, where he and his friends would spend hours sailing little tin boats among the thriving mangroves, which were full of birds, crabs and fish.

Unfortunately, Thomson said most of those have been reclaimed for urban expansion. He said he was deeply impressed by Xiatanwei's endeavors, which have not only restored the mangroves but achieved a balance between the environment and the economy.

During his address at the main forum of World Ocean Week, the special envoy reiterated that ocean action is crucial for our planet, particularly in light of the threat that global warming poses to humanity.

"The forecast show we are on track to a destination of 3 degrees global warming within the lives of our grandchildren. That is an unacceptable world of plague, fire, famine and ferocious storms," said Thomson.

He cited a report released by the High-Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy in September, saying that full implementation of ocean-based climate solutions that are ready for action could reduce the emissions gap by up to 35 percent on a 1.5 C pathway by 2050.

"The road to 1.5 degrees will require of us many fundamental transitions in the way we live our lives, and in parts the road is narrow," he noted.

He told media that he hoped that Xiamen could take wider participation in global ocean action to tackle the planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution.

"Those progressive cities like Xiamen need to be in the lead in finding the solutions to those challenges," said Thomson.