XINING - Northwest China's Qinghai province spent 74 million yuan (about $10.7 million) in 2019 on wetland protection and restoration.

The conservation and restoration funds consisted of 73 million yuan provided by the central government and 1 million yuan provided by the provincial government.

The fund has been used for the ecological restoration and protection of wetlands, including rivers, lakes and marshes in the region.

Since 2016, Qinghai has invested more than 766 million yuan on wetland protection and restoration in the region.

Wetlands are referred to as the "Earth's kidneys" because they are vital to ecological balance.

Accommodating more than 8.14 million hectares of wetlands, Qinghai ranks first in wetland areas in China. Three wetlands in Qinghai have been listed as Wetlands of International Importance, while the province is also home to 19 national wetland parks.

The province has also made progress in wetland conservation mechanisms, organizing local herdsmen and encouraging them to join in the protection of wetlands in Qinghai. So far, there are about 963 wetland rangers protecting over 1.9 million hectares of lakes, rivers and constructed wetlands across the province.