Wen Cheng is the general manager of Jinglang Ecology. He is also HSBC’s long term partner in ecology protection. When he was a kid his father would tell him how wonderful the natural world was. He told him that there were places with a lot of birds and a lot of fish. However, about 40 years ago, with development at rapid rate, our environment also changed rapidly. He witnessed the extinction of several species.
He felt regret and wanted to do something about it. He uses advanced technology for restoration of biodiversity and its improvement. This technology is primarily used for freshwater wetlands. If wetlands continue to decrease, we will face extreme environmental consequences including permanent biodiversity loss, water pollution and flooding.
They noticed that some natigve species were missing. There were no native crabs, shrimps or snails in the river. They found that the biological chain is incomplete. If a wetland is in a damaged state, then it will transform from a source of enriched resources to a cause of major problems. Wen Cheng has worked with HSBC on the Shaping River Project. It is a part of a wider initiative to conserve wetland areas and animal life in the Pearl River Delta region. Wen and his team have been raising public awareness with the support of HSBC and local governments regarding the importance of ecological conservation.
They have also put up a lot of signs along the river to educate everyone about the river, different species and which species need to be most protected. People are now more aware about the ecological instability. Since they have started this project, the water quality in the area has significantly improved compared with how it was before. Now native species which were missing before, can be found in the river. The government is ready to adopt their technology for wetland parks.