In recent years, Nansha District of Guangzhou City has witnessed high-quality development of ocean economy and continuous gathering of marine industries. Based on the concept of “Ecological Belt” proposed by Guangdong Province, Nansha District, as the core area for development of Guangzhou City, set the Jiangmen Waterway on the west and north side of Lingshan Island and the Shanghengli Waterway on the south side as pilot projects for the “Ecological Belt”.

Guangzhou City Nansha District Lingshan Island’s tip Outer River Restoration Project undertaken by ZEHO ECO was to carry out the ecological restoration of the outer river water and the landscape improvement outside the built dyke. ZEHO ECO used ecological engineering methods to transform the base of the banks of the outer river to create an ideal environment for the plant community and solved the problem of dry masonry exposed at low tide by plant design, to create a harmonious natural environment for the outer river. We also adopted appropriate measures to ensure the water is clean and without floating waste.

According to the hydrological and meteorological characteristics of the region, ZEHO ECO chose a stable and environmentally friendly ecological engineering method for soil consolidation and improved the base of the dyke to create an ideal environment for the plant community. In order to prevent soil erosion and provide the soil conditions for plant growth, we adopted the ecological engineering methods such as Geocell and branch-sediment, reasonably according to the water flow of the site.

The island’s plants were specifically chosen to solve the problem of dry masonry exposed at low tide. According to the adaptability of different mangrove plants and aquatic plants to the salinity of the water and their resistance to flooding and wind and waves, ZEHO ECO chose plants such as iris, reed, cattail, Cyperus Malaccensis, Paulownia tree, Acanthus Ilicifolius and Volkameria Inermis for a three-dimensional design. According to different shoreline shapes, we grew plants according to local conditions, making the area both beautiful and eco-friendly. We chose border plants for flat and straight shorelines to create different near shore experiences while ensuring a wide vision. While protecting the natural islands, we replanted short aquatic plants below the railings to cover the mud flats near the railings, forming a harmonious and unified ecological style with the original natural islands.

The project was completed at the end of 2020. Around 5.5 kilometers of coastline were restored, of which 4.0 kilometers were restored by ecological engineering method, 1.5 kilometers were treated, and a total planting area of 22,105 square meters was restored. The ecological restoration proliferated the biodiversity of the outer river of Lingshan Island’s tip. The plant species in the tidal flats and mangroves reached 17, including 8 kinds of mangrove and semi-mangrove, 9 kinds of aquatic plants; 6 kinds of benthos were found, including fiddler crabs. The green plants along the river look like an emerald necklace placed in the outer river area of Lingshan Island’s tip, forming a picturesque scene of the shore. The existing belt-shaped park inside the dyke, with the “emerald necklace”, presents a diversified waterfront space.