XINING — Another four wetland parks are planned in northwest China’s Qinghai province, bringing the number there to 19, covering 325,100 hectares, local forestry department said on Jan 19.

The three of new parks are located in Sanjiangyuan, home to the headwaters of the Yangtze, Yellow, and Lancang (Mekong) rivers. The other is near Qinghai Lake. The four cover 21,000 hectares

“The four parks, encompass the region’s typical riverine and marsh wetlands, with rich bio-diversity, landscape and historical and cultural resources,” said Ma Jianhai, director of the forestry department’s wetland protection center.

Qinghai has more than eight million hectares of wetland, more than any other province, accounting for around 15 percent of the country’s total. Wetlands have important roles in water purification, flood control and maintaining biodiversity.