Science & Tech · Science & Environment · 4 hrs ago
China’s Blue Bay restoration initiative named a 2026 UN flagship
The UN named China’s Blue Bay initiative a 2026 World Restoration Flagship at a biodiversity meeting in Armenia.
The programme is a nationwide effort led by China’s natural resources and finance ministries to restore marine and coastal ecosystems.
It is part of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, which recognizes large-scale projects that can offer examples for others.
China has carried out 194 major marine restoration projects, backed by 36.63 billion yuan in central government funding.
The work has restored or treated more than 150,000 hectares of coastal wetlands and invasive cordgrass, and more than 2,000 kilometres of coastline.
The projects aim to improve habitats and biodiversity, strengthen coastlines against hazards and create better public access to the sea.
China plans to continue restoration through coastal bay, shoreline and island programmes, tailoring work to local conditions and linking it with disaster risk reduction.
The United Nations Environment Programme named China’s Blue Bay restoration initiative a 2026 World Ecosystem Restoration Flagship.
The announcement was made on October 29 at a “Restoration Day” event during the UN biodiversity conference in Yerevan, Armenia.
The initiative is led by China’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Ministry of Finance and includes 194 major marine ecosystem restoration projects.
China has received the flagship designation for a nationwide ecological restoration action twice, after the China Landscape Project was selected in 2022.
The projects have supported restoration of more than 150,000 hectares of coastal wetlands and treatment of over 2,000 kilometres of coastline.
- Who
- The United Nations Environment Programme named China’s Blue Bay restoration initiative a 2026 flagship.
- What
- The initiative received the UN World Ecosystem Restoration Flagship designation.
- When
- October 29, 2026.
- Where
- At a “Restoration Day” event during the Convention on Biological Diversity’s 17th Conference of the Parties in Yerevan, Armenia.
- Why
- The designation recognized China’s results in marine ecosystem protection and restoration.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The China Landscape Project was selected as a UN flagship project.
The UN Environment Programme announced the Blue Bay restoration initiative’s selection at a “Restoration Day” event in Yerevan.
- Flagship designation
- 2026 UN World Ecosystem Restoration Flagship
- Announcement
- October 29, 2026, in Yerevan, Armenia
- Major projects
- 194 marine ecosystem restoration projects
- Central funding
- 36.63 billion yuan in central government awards and subsidies
- Restoration scale
- More than 150,000 hectares of coastal wetlands and over 2,000 kilometres of coastline
- Mangrove area
- 31,700 hectares in China
What people are saying
This recognition as a flagship project is full recognition by the international community of the results of China’s marine ecological protection and restoration practices.
The China Blue Bay restoration initiative is one of the large-scale ecosystem restoration cases with the greatest development potential, ambitious goals and important demonstration value globally.
We used a combination of measures, including hydrological system restoration, micro-topography adjustment, vegetation recovery and management of Spartina alterniflora, to create diverse and varied wetland habitat patches.
We combined the improvement of mangrove ecological functions with the creation of an ecological landscape belt, exploring a marine restoration model for “coexistence between city and sea” in highly urbanized areas.