Old Yellow River Course in Minquan Becomes an Internationally Important Wetland

Old Yellow River Course in Henan’s Minquan County Becomes an Internationally Important Wetland

民权黄河故道湿地成为“国际重要湿地” 河南省唯一

News from Henan Provincial Forestry Bureau on September 8 -- The Old Yellow River Course in Henan’s Minquan County, together with other 7 wetlands across China such as Beida Port in Tianjin, Bila River in Inner Mongolia, has been added to the list of internationally important wetlands, according to the National Forestry and Grassland Administration. As one of the 64 internationally important wetlands, it is the first in Henan.

记者9月8日从省林业局获悉，国家林草局近日发布公告，我省民权黄河故道湿地与天津北大港、内蒙古毕拉河等7处湿地被核准列入《国际重要湿地名录》，成为我国64处国际重要湿地之一，也是全省第一个国际重要湿地。

[Photo provided to Dahe Daily]

Based on the importance of ecological function and environmental benefit, wetlands are classified into internationally important wetlands, nationally important wetlands, provincially important wetlands and general wetlands, which are usually protected in the forms of wetland nature reserves and wetland parks. At present, there are totally 11 wetland nature reserves and 71 wetland parks of provincially importance or above in Henan province.

按照生态功能和环境效益的重要性，湿地分为国际重要湿地、国家重要湿地、省级重要湿地和一般湿地，采取建立湿地自然保护区、湿地公园等方式对湿地予以保护。目前，我省已有11处省级以上湿地自然保护区、71处省级以上湿地公园。

According to the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat (hereinafter referred to as the RAMSAR Convention), China added 7 new sites to the list of internationally important wetlands on February 3, including Old Yellow River Course in Minquan of Henan, Beida Port in Tianjin, and Bila River in Inner Mongolia. Approved by the RAMSAR Convention Secretariat in accordance with the procedures, the effective date fell on February 3, 2020.

根据《关于特别是作为水禽栖息地的国际重要湿地公约》（以下简称《湿地公约》），我国于今年2月3日指定民权黄河故道、天津北大港、内蒙古毕拉河等7处湿地为国际重要湿地。经《湿地公约》秘书处按程序核准列入，生效日期为指定日2020年2月3日。

To be named as the internationally important wetland, a site needs to meet 2 key criterion: First, it is regularly inhabited by more than 20 thousand waterfowls; second, it supports vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered species or threatened ecological communities, with a population of more than 1 percent. The Old Yellow River Course National Wetland Park in Minquan is planned to cover an area of 2303.5 hectares (98.1 percent are wetlands), with about 32 thousand waterfowls and 149 varieties of birds, of which 27 (accounting for 18.1 percent) are under first-class and second-class state protections, such as Baer’s pochards, oriental white storks, whooper swans, cygnets, grey cranes, etc. The number of Baer’s pochards, a critically endangered species, is fewer than 1 thousand in the world. In January 2019, 186 were spotted here, accounting for more than 15 percent of the global total. In June 2019, their breeding nest was first found here. So, the Old Yellow River Course National Wetland Park in Minquan has become an important habitat and breeding area for Baer’s pochards.

据悉，成为国际重要湿地须满足2个核心指标，一是定期栖息有2万只以上的水禽，二是支持易危、濒危或极度濒危物种或受威胁的生态群落，且种群数量超过1%。民权黄河故道国家湿地公园规划区总面积2303.5公顷，湿地率高达98.1%，区内定期栖息有约3.2万只以上的水禽，分布着149种鸟类，其中青头潜鸭、东方白鹳、大天鹅、小天鹅、灰鹤等国家Ⅰ、Ⅱ类重点保护鸟类就达27种，比例高达18.1%。极危物种青头潜鸭全球数量不足1000只，2019年1月在此监测到186只，占全球种群数量的15%以上；2019年6月首次发现青头潜鸭繁殖巢，民权黄河故道国家湿地公园成为青头潜鸭重要栖息地和繁殖地。（中文来源/河南日报 翻译/赵汉青 审校/白玉杰）