China has more wetlands than any country in Asia, and 10 percent of the global total. They are crucial to life and environment -- and rapidly disappearing.
Asia Society Features Sean Gallagher's Wetlands Series on "China Green"
Published September 8, 2011
Pulitzer Center grantee Sean Gallagher traveled through China to report on disappearing wetlands caused by environmental degradation. His videos and photography are featured on the Asia Society's website as part of their China Green series.
From Asia Society's Wetlands project:
Wetlands are found on every continent on earth, in the form of rivers, shallow lakes, swamps, mangroves, estuaries and floodplains. They are valued for their ability to store flood waters, protect shorelines, improve water quality, and recharge groundwater aquifers.
China’s wetlands cover some 65 million hectares, ranking first in Asia and representing ten percent of the world’s total wetlands. A quiet crisis is occurring however as these important waters are quickly disappearing.
As a result of China’s rapid economic growth in recent decades, coupled with climate change, vast swathes of China’s wetlands have now disappeared.
These changes are having serious consequences for the millions of people who rely on these sources of water and also severely affecting the flora and fauna of these regions, pushing many to the brink of extinction.
Sean's videos were also featured in The Guardian.
Project
Sean Gallagher's multimedia project, Dongting Hu: A Lake in Flux, wins first place in a prestigious award contest for UK photojournalists.
In this lesson, students will learn what wetlands are, where they are found, and better understand their value to humans, animals, and the environment.
Project
Grantee
Sean Gallagher is a British photographer and videographer, based in China. Graduating in Zoology from the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne in England, he subsequently changed career direction into...