On 1 June, the Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Protection of Wetland came into force. Based on the overall protection and restoration of wetland ecosystems, the Wetland Protection Law is China’s first legislation dedicated to the protection of wetlands, with 7 chapters and 65 articles, possessing the following four features.

1. Principles and concepts
2. Systematic protection
3. Scientific utilization
4. Responsibility

The Wetland Protection Law is an important achievement in the development of the legal system of China’s ecological civilization and a strategic initiative to maintain national ecological security and biodiversity, marking a new stage in the legalization of wetland protection in China.