China's ecological progress after the 18th CPC National Congress

Xixi wetland in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. [File photo: Xinhua]

▪ Better water system

Over the past five years, about 300,000 mu (1 mu= 0.07 hectare)of shrinkingwetlands were restored, and about 200,000 mu of farmland returned for wetlands development.

By the end of 2016, 67.8 percent of the country's surface water was qualified as grade I to III, meaning it is clean enough for direct human use, whilewater in the lowest "belowV" grade,meaning it is so polluted it has lost virtually all functions, fell to 8.6 percent.