【新唐人2014年02月04日訊】2月2號是第18個「世界濕地日」,但世界各地的濕地情況卻不容樂觀,尤其中國大陸在近十年間,濕地出現大面積減少現象,人為破壞和基建佔用情況極為嚴重，保護濕地刻不容緩。

「世界濕地日」前夕，大陸林業局副局長張永利在新聞發佈會上透露，據全國第二次濕地自由調查結果顯示，近10年來，中國自然濕地面積減少了337萬公頃，減少率高達9.33%。這一數據引發了很多濕地保護專家與學者的關注。

濕地，又被稱作「自然之腎」，是地球生態環境的重要組成部份，與森林、海洋一起並稱為全球三大生態系統。對人類、生物與自然環境有著極為寶貴和巨大作用。

台灣環境資訊協會濕地保護專案執行人員表示，濕地就像大地的海綿，有調整洪流的功能。

台灣環境資訊協會濕地保護專案執行人員翁女士：「水流經過濕地的時候，它會將速度減緩，留住水中的養份，也可以去過濾水裡金屬化合物、有毒物質﹔濕地也是一個很重要的基礎生物的食物鏈，它可以造就很多的生物多樣性。它也是人類很重要的一個食物來源，像古文明的文化和發源地，經常在和河流旁的氾濫平原。」

台灣環境資訊協會兩岸交流專案執行人員葉人豪：「因為濕地在現代氣候變遷的部分，它其實也是調試氣候的一個部份，也是蠻重要的。或者是在物種保育的狀態，其實對人類影響都是蠻大的。」

台灣環境資訊協會濕地保護專案執行人員翁女士表示，失去了濕地，相對失去了平衡地球環境的功能。

翁女士：「少了濕地的話，將會減少調節洪流的功能，乾旱的時候，土地缺乏儲水的能力，我們將不會有足夠地下水或農田的灌溉，在濕地的沿岸地區，大雨或洪水氾濫的時候，周邊的村莊生物將會瀕臨死亡。濕地減少了，它就減少了淨化水質的功能。」

可以說，近年來，大陸發生的地下水枯竭、洪水肆虐、氣候反常等等災難，都與濕地的減少有一定關係。但中國的濕地究竟是如何減少的呢？

張永利公開表示：造成濕地面積大幅度減少的主要原因，除了氣候變化等一些自然因素外，人類活動佔用和改變濕地用途是其主要原因。其中圍墾和基建佔用，是導致濕地面積大幅度減少的兩個最關鍵因素。

北京環保志願者、民間水專家張俊峰：「這幾年，由於房地產價值非常高，所以人們又開始把這些濕地填平之後去開發房地產，所以這一點在中國尤其是像洞庭湖、武漢、還有長江流域附近，包括南方，這方面事情非常非常多。所以造成了這種濕地逐漸消失的情況。」

張永利指出，近十年來，受基建佔用威脅的濕地面積多達129萬公頃，比2003年增長了近10倍。巨大的數字背後，折射出了在當權者眼中，短期的經濟利益，在環境保護與經濟發展之間的博弈中佔了上風。

張俊峰：「地方政府，它們追求的是眼前的利益。它不會追求長遠的生態平衡也好，還是其他的社會發展也好。那麼這種眼前利益的追求，它們就放棄了很多長遠的東西，實際上這種政府的管理模式，就造成了地方政府在追求短期利益的同時，促進它惡性發展的這樣一些作用。」

中共當局至今沒有出臺保護中國的濕地的法規。有的僅僅是各地形同虛設的所謂「保護條例」。廣西壯族自治區林業廳副廳長劉中奇，面對不斷消失的海岸線曾憤怒的說：到處都在填海，為甚麼填呢？因為便宜啊。填海比徵地來得便宜和簡單，而且又沒有法律去約束它。

環保人士吐槽諷刺：森林有森林法，土地有土地法，海洋有海洋法，而濕地沒有法，這等於濕地可以亂破壞，把濕地毀了，把它變成開發區了也沒事，沒人追究，因為沒有法嘛！

採訪編輯/張天宇 後製/ 李勇

Diminishing Wetlands in the Name of Construction February 2 marks the 18th World Wetlands Day.

While wetlands are facing disastrous destruction world wide, in China, wetlands have also experienced a decade of damage and reduction.

On the eve of World Wetlands Day, the Chinese State Forestry Administration Deputy Director Zhang Yongli said at the press conference, according to the second national wetland survey, China has lost 3.37 million hectares of wetland, a reducing rate of 9.33% in the past decade.

The data has immediately raised concern among many wetland experts and scholars.

Wetlands are also known as Nature’s kidneys.

Along with forests and oceans, they are the world’s three major ecosystems valuable to humans, biology and nature.

According to Taiwan Environmental Information Association,

wetlands are like the sponge of the earth. They help to protect during floods.

Ms. Weng, staff at wetlands protection project, (TEIA):"Wetlands slow down the flow speed, retain nutrients, and filter out metal and toxic compounds in the flow. Wetlands are also part of fundamental food chains. They provide biodiversity. They also serve major food sources. Many ancient cultures and civilizations took place next to the flood plains."

Ye Ren-Hao, staff member at cross strait project, (TEIA) :"Wetlands adjust weather and have a major impact on weather transition. They also conserve natural species and are important to humans."

TEIA staff member Ms. Weng indicates that loss of wetlands is equivalent to the loss of environmental balances of the earth.

Ms. Weng: “Loss of wetlands will lose flood regulation. During the dry season, the land will lose the capacity of water storage, leading to insufficient groundwater or irrigation of farmland. During the flood season, surrounding organisms will face devastating effects because of lack of water purification from the wetlands."

It can be said that depletion of groundwater, floods, and erratic weather disasters in China in recent years have a certain relationship with the reduction in wetlands.

But what has caused the reduction of China’s wetlands?

Zhang Yongli said publicly: “Other than natural factors such as climate change; human activity to occupy and convert wetlands for other purposes are the main reasons for significant decrease in wetland area," and “Enclosure for cultivation and land reclamation are the two most critical factors that lead to a substantial reduction in wetland area."

Beijing environmentalist Zhang Junfeng: “In recent years, high real estate value has driven real estate development on the wetlands.

It is happening widely in China, such as at Dongting Lake,Wuhan, the Yangtze River basin, where the wetlands are filled to develop real estate.

That has caused the gradual disappearance of wetlands."

Zhang Yongli pointed out that over the past decade, real estate has threatened as many as 1.29 million hectares of wetland area, an increase of nearly 10 times more than in 2003.

It reflects short-term economic interests prevail in the game

between environmental protection and economic development

in the eyes of those in power.

Zhang Junfeng: “Local governments’ pursuit of the immediate benefits has ignored the long-term ecological balance or social development.

This type of management has created a vicious cycle of development."

There has been no wetland legal protection in China today. Some so-called protection regulations are only superficial. Facing the disappearing coastline, Guangxi Forestry Department deputy director Liu Zhongqi, has said angrily: Reclamation is taking place everywhere. Why? Because it’s cheap.

Land reclamation is cheaper and easier than land requisition. Especially as it’s not subject to legal regulation.

Environmentalists have complained: There are Forest, Land, and Sea Laws. Wetlands don’t have any regulation. That means wetlands can be destroyed at will and developed into real estate. Because it is lawless!

Interview & Edit/Zhang Tianyu Post-Production/LiYong