Prologue
In 2019, Foresty Administration of Guangdong Province went to Israel for research and study. During the visit, at the invitation of the Consulate General of the State of Israel in Guangzhou and the MASHAV - Israel's Agency for International Development Cooperation - Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the delegation of Foresty Administration of Guangdong Province planted a friendship tree in Shefayim Kibbutz, Israel.
At the end of September this year, the Israeli Deputy Consul General in Guangzhou——Eli has fully served his duty and his term of office has expired. In order to thank him for his contribution to promoting cultural exchanges between China and Israel during his tenure, and for the inheritance of China-Israel friendship, the Foresty Administration of Guangdong Province cooperated with the Consulate General of the State of Israel in Guangzhou to plant trees in the friendship forest. The event was held in Guangzhou's "Green Heart"-Haizhu National Wetland Park on September 4, 2020.
Haizhu National Wetland Park is located at the heart of Guangzhou, only 3km away from the city CBD. Under the huge pressure on local economy and employment and promotes human well being, through conserving wetlands and restoring degraded on hands, a 1100-hectare central wetland park has been established, and has since been known as the "green heart" of Guangzhou.
The staff introduced the achievement of the second phase of wetland ecological restoration.
As a comprehensive gateway city of China, Guangzhou once neglected ecological protection in the process of rapid industrialization and urbanization. Environmental pollution, river clogging and habitat degradation threatened the human settlement enviroment. Haizhu Wetland used to be orchards that shrunk from 6,590 acress to 1650 acres.
In order to implement sustainable development, the State Council authorized the land acquisition in on lump sum to realize permanent protection of Haizhu Wetlands, implement permanent protection and to avoid beingn encroached upon by city construction. Haizhu Wetland conservation and restoration project has taken nature-based solutions. It has applied the Dike-Creak-Fruit-Forest cultivation system for wetland restoration utilized natural force of tidal hydrological processes for enhancing water cycle and improving water quality, restored wildlife habitat for improving wetland biodiversity and reserved traditional Mulberry-Dyke-Fish-Pond agriculture landscapes as the heritage for future generations.
After the restoration, Haizhu Wetlands receives nearly 10 million visitors every year and improves 8 surrounding communities and it provides citizens with a city parlor which is pleasing, accessible and enjoyble. Hiazhu Weland adheres to the idea of "authentic ecology micro modification and less intervention" and always prioritize green lands rather than city construction. Haizhu Weland plays the role of "guardian of city ecology". After 8 years of conservation and restoration urban environmental quality of the surrounding area has been greatly improved water quality in weland was significantly improved and waterlogging, tropical island effect and pollution problems have been mitigated. The number of bird species increased from 72 to 178, and insect from 66 species to 325. Biodiversity has increased. Harmony and vitality have reappeared at the center of the city.
Haizhu Wetland explores the integrated approach of "Weland+", to contributes to the establishment of National Pilot School of Natural Educcation, more than 2,500 talks on natural knowledge have been provided and more than 400,000 students have benefited from this programme. Co-build green projects through cooperation with well-known research institutions, experts and scholars at home and abroad, Haizhu Wetland has established a university-industry collaboration platform. Looking forward to the cooperation with Israel in culture, education, technology, etc., to contribute to the sustainable development of cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
China and Israel planted friendship trees in the friendship forest in the Wetland. Trees love will live forever for a century, while may the friendship between China and Israel last forever.
