Workers inspect wind turbines at a wind farm in Ningbo, Zhejiang province. [Photo provided to ezhejiang.gov.cn]

Zhejiang province has released a new action plan for ecological protection and restoration, aiming to further enhance its already impressive landscapes while supporting integrated urban-rural development.

Issued by the Department of Natural Resources of Zhejiang Province, the plan outlines a series of coordinated initiatives anchored by major ecological projects. These efforts are expected to drive high-quality regional development by restoring mountains, coastlines, wetlands, and degraded land.

In recent years, Zhejiang has restored 7.5 million mu (500,000 hectares) of mountains and rivers, rehabilitated 140 kilometers of coastline and 30,000 mu of coastal wetlands, planted 6,000 mu of mangroves, treated 35,000 mu of abandoned mines, and carried out 4.25 million mu of comprehensive land renewal.

Building on this foundation, the plan sets out five key upgrade initiatives: refreshing the ecological restoration brand, enhancing the coastal recovery program, repurposing former mining areas through ecological regeneration, optimizing comprehensive land consolidation, and strengthening ecosystem-based carbon sinks.

For example, in marine and coastal zones, the plan identifies four strategic zones — Hangzhou Bay, the Zhoushan islands, Xiangshan Port, and the Wenzhou-Taizhou coastline — to pilot integrated land-sea ecological restoration.

These areas will serve as models for eco-bays, livable islands, scenic coastlines, and resilient blue bays, supporting a unified approach to protection and development across land and sea.