Tai'an city, Shandong province, is reaping the benefits of using a natural solution to an unnatural problem in order to reduce pollution flowing into the Wenhe River.

In the Wenhe National Wetland Park, urban sewage runs through a series of man-made wetlands which treats and cleans the water by using natural filtration processes before it finally runs into the Wenhe River.

After a year's efforts in wetland preservation, the city has seen the ecological benefits of these constructed wetlands, Tai'an Daily reported on Feb 1. On the following day the 20th World Wetlands Day was held, with the theme "Wetlands for our Future, Sustainable Livelihoods".

To welcome the event, staff at the park worked hard in improving the park's infrastructure.

Since its operation, the artificial wetlands in the park have contributed greatly in improving the water quality of Wenhe River, by reducing pollutants such as nitrogen and phosphorus, said Gao Feng, a member of the park's administration, and that the wetlands play a significant role in improving the Dongping Lake downstream and in ensuring the water quality of the national water project.

The park has also carried out a number of campaigns to prevent illegal fishing in the area as the fish and plant life provide food for the hundreds of species of birds that inhabit the area.

The park is also working on improving its infrastructure to provide a better environment for tourists, with a walking path around the lake, tourist sights and center being built. The park is also organizing a series of events to engage local residents and school pupils, popularizing wetlands culture and birds preservation.

The national park is part of the preservation network of the Yellow River. Tai'an city has 500,000-square-kilometer wetlands, and is building more nature reserves to improve air humidity, air quality, purify water, and preserve bio-diversity.

Wenhe National Wetland Park [Photo by Wang Wenzheng/Tai'an Daily]