Gansu Yanchiwan Wetlands

Grus nigricollis
Permanent freshwater marshes
Permanent rivers
Anser indicus

Gansu Yanchiwan Wetlands

  • Country: 
    China
  • Site number: 
    2347
  • Area: 
    29,876.2 ha
  • Designation date: 
    08-01-2018
  • Coordinates: 
    39°05'N 95°50'E
Materials presented on this website, particularly maps and territorial information, are as-is and as-available based on available data and do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the Ramsar Convention concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

Overview

The Site is located in the upper basin of the Dang river (the primary tributary of the Shule river), where the Inner Mongolia plateau meets the West Qilian mountains on the northern edge of the Tibetan plateau. Its rivers, lakes, and marshes harbour unique wetland ecosystems amid the region’s extremely arid and cold highland deserts. The Site is the only source of water for three areas: Subei Mongolian Autonomous County, Aksai Kazakh Autonomous County and Dunhuang City. Lying within Gansu Yanchiwan National Nature Reserve, the Site’s concentration of wetlands supports a rich biodiversity, including 278 plant species, 96 birds and 31 mammals. Among them are globally threatened species such as the critically endangered Baer’s pochard (Aythya baeri), the endangered steppe eagle (Aquila nipalensis) and the vulnerable goitered gazelle (Gazella subgutturosa). The wetlands serve as important stopover, foraging and breeding grounds for highland migratory birds in western China, and they are the northernmost breeding place for black-necked crane Grus nigricollis. The Site plays a significant role in preserving local biodiversity and genetic diversity, and it helps to regulate the microclimate, purify water and air, maintain groundwater levels, control flooding and prevent desertification in downstream areas.

Administrative region: 
Subei Mongolian Autonomous County, Jiuquan City, Gansu Province, P.R. China

  • National legal designation: 
    • National Nature Reserve - Gansu Yanchiwan National Nature Reserve
  • Last publication date: 
    06-08-2018

Downloads

Ramsar Information Sheet (RIS)

Additional reports and documents