Newman HuoTHE second Meeting of the Regional Working Group on Wetlands of the United Nations Environmental Programs (UNEP) and the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) brought together 10 Asian wetland experts in Shenzhen Waterlands Resort yesterday.The delegates, with two UNEP regional representatives, are from seven countries around the South China Sea including Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.All have participated in the UNEP and GEF project entitled “Reversing Environmental Degrading Trends in the South China Sea and Gulf of Thailand.”In recent years, wetland resources protection, as an important part of environmental protection and sustainable development, has attracted wide attention from the international public.The UNEP and GEF appropriated a fund of US$32 million to implement environmental protection projects for the seven participating countries around the South China Sea. “At first, the UNEP chose Vietnam or Cambodia as the host country for this meeting. But when we finished our first meeting in Thailand this April, all delegates required the second meeting be held in China because they want to come over to see what China, with its economy developing so quickly, has done in environmental protection,” said Chen Guizhu, professor of Zhongshan University and delegate from China.Chen had carried out ecological system research in Shenzhen Futian Mangrove Nature Reserve from 1990 to 1996, and has participated in the ecological design and construction in Shenzhen Waterlands Resort since 1999.“Shenzhen Futian Mangrove Nature Reserve and Shenzhen Waterlands Resort are two good examples of wetland restoration and sustainable development, and we’re planning to introduce them to the participating countries in Southeast Asia.”“But we’re also facing pressing challenges in protecting the ecological diversity and preserving the coastal wetlands at the estuary of the Pearl River, which we hope can be listed as the priority protection program or demonstration area in the UNEP and GEG project,” Chen said.