Regulations on wetland protection to take effect in Shanxi

Shanxi will implement the Regulations on the Protection of Wetlands in Shanxi Province on June 1.

The province on the Loess Plateau in North China has few wetland resources. However, due to its important location, protecting the wetland resources in Shanxi is of great significance to the ecological security and the security of water resources in North China. 

In recent years, Shanxi has approved the construction of 63 wetland parks.

The regulations clearly include wetland protection in the national economic and social development plan, and the funds required for wetland protection are included in the financial budget of the corresponding level in accordance with the principle of division of powers. 

The responsibilities of the government and departments for wetland protection have been clarified in the regulations, and a responsibility system for wetland conservation targets, wetland conservation coordination and information reporting mechanism, wetland area control system, and interview system have been established. 

In addition, the regulations also clarify the legal consequences for illegal acts such as the unauthorized occupation of provincially-important wetlands by construction projects and the unauthorized alteration, movement and destruction of provincially-important wetland protection signs.