Merit Award 2018

Mr. Ma Guangren, Vice Chairman and Secretary General of China Wetland Conservation Association

Mr. Gunagren has made significant contributions to wetland conservation and wise use in China by contributing to the establishment of wetland conservation regulations, investigation and monitoring, project planning, publicity and education, and an international cooperation system.

He promoted a series of wetland conservation regulations by the State Council of China, organized the 2nd National Inventory of Wetland Resources of China and identified the basic status of all wetlands larger than eight hectares in China.

Based on the results of this inventory he made long term wetland conservation project implementation plans and mid-long term plans. He has persuaded the Central Government of China to invest $1.3 billion to implement nation-wide wetland conservation and restoration projects. Specifically he implemented the concept of effective conservation and wise use of the Convention, developing with Chinese characteristics nature reserves and wetland parks as the main concept of the wetland conservation management and wise use system.

He set up the National Ramsar Implementation Committee, the China Wetland Conservation Association and has developed networks for the Conservation of the Yangtze River, Yellow River and coastal wetlands, as well as various forms of environmental and public awareness education activities.