The 2022 China Marine Economy Expo was held in the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center from November 24 to 26, with the theme of “Sharing the deep blue through technological innovation”. The Forum on Innovation and Practice of Marine Ecological Restoration Technology held on November 24 was co sponsored by ZEHO ECO Sustainable Development Institute, Shenzhen SEZ Construction and Development Group Co., Ltd. and Shenzhen Global Marine Center City Construction Promotion Association, undertaken by Shenzhen SEZ Marine Industry Development Co., Ltd. and Shenzhen Maritime Expo Co., Ltd., and co-organized by the Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources.

Based on the theoretical and practical achievements of seawall construction, coastal animal and plant protection, smart coastal management, coastal urban design, low carbon cycle and many other aspects at home and abroad, the forum strives to provide the most advanced innovative solutions and technical solutions in international marine ecological restoration technology.

On the eve of the opening of the Expo, Zhang Lei, Director of ZEHO ECO Marine Restoration Center, received an exclusive interview from Shenzhen Special Zone News. He will also share the migration and practice of ecological engineering methods in marine ecological restoration at this forum under the theme of “From rivers and lakes to oceans - exploration and practice of coastal ecological restoration”.

Q: The coastal and gulf regions are the focus of economic and social development. With the rapid development of the marine industry, what challenges do you think the coastal and bay ecological environment will face?

A: The ecological environment of coastal and bay areas is the basic support for the development of the marine industry, and the development of marine industry is an important driving force for the evolution of coastal ecological environment. The interaction between the two makes up a typical open system.

Because of the division of land and sea space, there is a lack of coordination and cohesion between sea areas and land areas in terms of resource and environment carrying capacity, industrial layout and development orientation, especially in the coastal aquaculture, over development, etc. With the increasing intensity of development of coastal waters, the area of bays and coastal wet land has decreased, and the habitat of marine organisms has largely disappeared; The extensive use of coastline, such as aquaculture, moisture-proof dams, has highlighted the resource contradiction between industries.

Shenzhen Haoxiang Lake Wetland Park Project won the Urban Design Award of Hong Kong Institute of Urban Design in 2021. ZEHO ECO completed the wetland ecological restoration.

Q: What are the advanced innovative solutions and technical solutions in global marine ecological restoration and protection?

A: In recent years, “coping with climate change”, “coastal ecological restoration” and “public participation” have become the hot spots of marine ecological restoration. Urban coastal space has attracted and gathered more public functions. Through ecological restoration oriented urban design, landscape design, intelligent monitoring, and light asset operation, coastal space is becoming a coastal public space with safety, ecology, tourism, and landscape.

For example, the protective planning of Manhattan, New York, the United States, meets high standards of coastal protection requirements and public activity needs through the establishment of composite breakwater+elastic planning+diversified landscape. Singapore Binhai Bay Garden, by integrating recycling energy, water conservancy technology, rainwater collection, and drawing inspiration from animals and plants, has built a brand and combined operation, integrating ecological experience with public space, and doubled its benefits. Hong Kong Mai Po Wetland, formerly a broken shrimp pond, became an internationally important wetland in 1995 through continuous environmental protection and ecological restoration. Together with Shenzhen Futian Mangrove National Important Wetland, it provides a migration station and wintering habitat for 100,000 waterfowl every year. The newly completed Maipu Exhibition Center allows tourists to purchase various souvenirs, experience the mangrove sightseeing plank road, and drive the development of local tourism. In recent years, China Singapore Tianjin Eco City has carried out a series of practices in the combination of ecological coastal restoration and ecological seawall, and put forward a set of ecological seawall schemes that combine coastal security and ecological landscape, providing “Chinese experience” for the combination of muddy coastal seawall ecology and landscape tourism.

ZEHO ECO Dali Erhai Lakeside Buffer Zone Ecological Restoration Project

Q: China is the country with the longest coastline of Shanghai in the world. How do you see the development direction of domestic coastal areas? What are the important layout, innovative measures and successful implementation practices of ZEHO ECO in the marine ecological environment?

A: With the continuous increase of urban population, coastal areas are bearing more and more development tasks, and urban agglomeration development has become inevitable. Building a new type of future urban agglomeration with the coordination of human, nature and science and technology is an important proposition for the development of coastal cities in the future. From a single project to an ideal urban agglomeration in the future, the city should be harmonious with people, nature, environment, security, and culture. In the future, coastal areas should not only form a high-quality coastal life circle suitable for living, business and tourism, but also build a resilient infrastructure that can cope with climate change. While achieving ecological security, they should promote sustainable economic growth and become an innovation and development highland with international influence.

ZEHO ECO’s ecological marine business covers four key areas of marine ecological restoration: planning and design, industrial operation and digital technology. We can integrate oceanography, ecology, hydrology, urban planning, landscape design and other disciplines, and cooperates with engineers, urban planners, landscape designers, ecologists and economists to provide an integrated implementation scheme of planning, design, construction, digital delivery and intelligent operation, The business focuses on the ecological transformation of seawall, the construction of blue and green ecological networks, the comprehensive management of beaches, the restoration of mangroves, the cultivation of coral reefs, the improvement of coastal biodiversity, the saline and freshwater wetland park, etc.

We started the first coastal greenway project of Jinmeng Bay in Qinhuangdao in 2010. The project was completed in 2012 and was then the largest green beach park along the coast of Qinhuangdao. Over the years, Zhenghe Ecology has carried out active practice in coastal space and ecological integration, and has successively completed the Putian Blue Bay Comprehensive Renovation Project, Nansha Lingshan Island Sharp Hard Seawall Ecological Renovation Project, Shenzhen Haoxiang Lake Wetland Park and other projects. At present, it is a co-construction unit of the Key Laboratory of the Third Institute of Oceanology, Ministry of Natural Resources, and continues to explore new technologies and new ways that are suitable for the development needs of coastal areas in China.

Among them, the module transfer technology of ecological engineering method based on the concept of NbS can solve the problems of low survival rate of powerful coastal vegetation and high offshore construction cost, and provide innovative solutions for the ecological transformation of hard seawalls. At present, it has been pilot applied in the coastal areas of South China. The coral reef migration technology has also made a breakthrough. The newly developed coral reef module has solved the problem of low coral survival rate in the strong power sea area. At present, the coral reef has completed the pilot test and will be promoted to coastal cities in South China in the future.

With AIOT (Artificial Intelligence Internet of Things) as the core, the marine intelligent monitoring business realizes online collection of environmental information data, intelligent analysis, risk early warning and other applications through the interconnection of water quality, meteorology, plant growth and other intelligent monitoring facilities, combined with marine environment model simulation, and further improves the value of ecosystem comprehensive services. Through the implantation of original IP, the operation of business enriches the urban operation industry, refines and improves public life services, shapes the sustainable competitiveness of coastal cities for the future, and realizes the multi-dimensional value and sustainable operation of ecological products.

Over the past 25 years, ZEHO ECO has always kept in mind its original intention. In the future, we will continue to follow the needs of the times, deeply cultivate the ecological protection and restoration of coastal waters, and help China tell the story of a “marine power” in the new era.

ZEHO ECO Putian Blue Bay Comprehensive Renovation Project

Q: What suggestions does ZEHO ECO have for the construction of Guangdong Hong Kong Macao Greater Bay Area and the construction of Shenzhen as a “global marine central city”?

A: The construction of the Guangdong Hong Kong Macao Greater Bay Area is a major national development strategy. In this context, it is not only necessary to constantly improve the healthy living environment, promote sustainable economic growth, employment and introduce investment, but also to build a resilient blue green infrastructure that can cope with climate change. It is necessary to continue to protect cultural heritage and the ecological environment while achieving low-carbon and intelligent development. Shenzhen should speed up the construction of a global marine central city and build a core engine for the development of the Guangdong Hong Kong Macao Greater Bay Area. It should continue to give play to its regional and policy advantages, strengthen the restoration of species diversity in the main ecological shoreline mangroves and intertidal zones, create an ecological protective barrier, innovate the marine economic development model, and enhance its role in radiating and driving the development of surrounding regions.

ZEHO ECO Qinhuangdao Jinmeng Bay Coastal Environmental Treatment Project

Q: During the just successfully concluded 14th Conference of the Parties to the Wetlands Convention, Shenzhen was entrusted with the mission of building the world’s first “International Mangrove Center” and applying for internationally important wetlands. As a professional organization, what suggestions does ZEHO ECO have for strengthening international cooperation in global wetland and biodiversity conservation?

A: Shenzhen is rich in mangrove resources. In recent years, protection and restoration have achieved remarkable results, forming a whole that closely echoes the important international wetlands of Mai Po in Hong Kong. Mangrove is a diversified ecosystem, which includes not only mangroves but also algae, mangrove plants, semi mangrove plants, associated plants, animals, microorganisms, etc., and has a complex value for the development of Shenzhen. Shenzhen should take the opportunity of building an international mangrove center and applying for an international important wetland to promote international cooperation in wetland and mangrove conservation and restoration, disaster prevention and reduction, environmental education, management and operation, and industrial implantation, to enable Shenzhen to develop with high quality, seek an ecologically oriented sustainable development path for Shenzhen and even the Guangdong Hong Kong Macao Bay Area, and become a global benchmark city with outstanding competitiveness, innovation, and influence.

ZEHO ECO Ecological Improvement of Lingshan Island Tips Outer River, Nansha District, Guangzhou