The China Coastal Wetland Blueprint Project, jointly implemented by the State Forestry Administration, the Paulson Institute and the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research (IGSNRR) of the Academy of Sciences, held its Inception Workshop on 17-18 April 2014 in Beijing.

The Blueprint project aims to assess the current status, trend and threats of coastal wetlands in China, conduct case studies and best practices on wetland conservation in USA and China, and define the strategy, policy framework and priority actions on coastal wetlands protection and management in China. The ultimate goal is to identify feasible policy options for the decision-makers, provide effective management tools for competent government agencies, and promote the coastal wetlands protection and management at policy and practice levels in China. Chief Executive Spike Millington is on the Steering Committee of the project and PI and gave a presentation on EAAFP and participated in Task Force meetings. Prof. Lei Guangchun, EAAFP Technical Focal Point for China, heads up the Task Force. One Task Force team will focus on migratory waterbirds and identify key sites for nomination to the EAAFP Flyway Site Network. Another will undertake a scenario analysis, based on business-as-usual, planned and optimal scenarios for coastal wetland development. It will also build on China’s recent National Wetland Inventory, coordinated by SFA’s Wetland Centre.