Nature's Comeback: How China's Yangtze River Birds are Rebounding, but Wetlands Still Need Help

Biodiversity—the immense variety of life on Earth—is fundamental to sustaining healthy ecosystems and supporting human well-being. However, many river systems around the world have experienced alarming biodiversity declines due to human-induced pressures. The Yangtze River Basin (YRB), the largest river system in China and a global biodiversity hotspot, is no exception. In recent decades, rapid urbanization, widespread deforestation, and wetland degradation have significantly threatened the region’s bird populations and other wildlife.