Wetlands environmental degradation in the Yellow River Delta, Shandong Province of China

Abstract

wetlands environmental degradation is a major issue in the Yellow River Delta. The natural threats and human activities to wetlands in the delta, such as flow cut-off of the Yellow River and droughts, population growth and urbanization, cause the problem of wetland degradation during the last century, especially the recent five decades. An investigation on the wetlands environmental degradation in the Yellow River Delta and analysis of its causation were conducted. The results indicated that wetlands environmental changes were mostly tremendous in the whole delta, such as the loss of wetland area, surface water and groundwater pollution. Some new forms of management based on traditional and scientific knowledge must be introduced to solve problems of wetlands environmental degradation in the Yellow River Delta.