Integrated Legislation On Wetlands Conservation: Case Study On Zhangdu Lake Wetland

Integrated Legislation on Wetlands Conservation (ILWC) is proposed in the dissertation. In order to maintain the integrity of structures and functions of wetlands ecosystems, ILWC refers to formulating local wetlands resources regulations, particular wetland site regulation, and national Wetlands Conservation Regulation and Wetlands Conservation Act. Measures . of trans-district management, multi-departmental management, and public participation should be taken into legislature's consideration. The legislature integrates wetlands conservation into the rules of wetlands resources wise use, river basin management, and water resources management. ILWC should attach much importance to command-and-control measures, administrative guidance, economic stimulate, and consultant procedures among district governments, departments and all stake-holders. The dissertation includes three parts: case study, technical analysis and applied science.The first part is case study on Zhangdu Lake wetland, which covers Chapter One and Two. It discusses the impacts of resources utilization policies and development projects on Zhangdu Lake wetland, reviews the demonstration projects of Zhangdu Lake wetland, and analyses changes of the wetland in the past fifty years. Wetlands have many characteristics, such as multi-level structures, multi-dimensional functions and complex biogeochemical recycles. It then discusses social-economic statues and environmental situation of the Zhangdu Lake wetland, and analyses the causes and crux of environmental issues of the wetland. Decreased functions and destroyed structures of the wetland is involving land rights and resources property, departmental management and district administration, public participation and fund & technology aid.The second part, which covers Chapter Three and Four, is an assessment of domestic and international legislation on wetlands conservation, and an essence analysis of ILWC. Chapter Three reviews Ramsar Convention, its COPs, and international organizations on wetlands conservation, where ecosystem management is regarded as the focus of international wetlands law. It also reviews the legislation history of wetlands conservation in China, which can be divided into three periods: the sprout period (1979 -1992) , the developing period (1993-2002) and the booming period(2003~). Thenit evaluates theory basis, legal principles and institutions of provincial wetlands resource regulations today. The goal of ILWC is to maintain integrity of structures and functions of wetlands ecosystems, use wetlands resources wisely, and conserve international and national important wetlands sites. Its sources include wetlands resources regulations and wetlands ecosystems protection laws. Legal mechanism systems compose of administrative approach and consultant procedures. ILWC should make full use of the interaction of two mechanisms.The third part (Chapter Five) tries to develop a comprehensive legislation framework of wetlands conservation in the 21st century, which is an evolutionary, not a revolutionary legal arrangement. ILWC evolves from amendable local wetlands resources regulations and particular wetland site regulations, and will come to adaptive, comprehensive and national Wetlands Conservation Regulation and Wetland Conservation Act.