GUANGZHOU -- South China's Guangdong Province will build 39 new wetland parks in the next two years, bringing the total to 280 by 2020, according to the provincial forestry department.

The provincial government plans to build 20 wetland parks and set up a few model parks in 2019. The total number of wetland parks in the Pearl River Delta area is set to reach 155.

Projects will be launched to build an ecological corridor in the Pearl River Delta, as well as a migration corridor for waterbirds in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, with more efforts in restoration and protection of the wetland ecosystem.

Data from the National Forestry and Grassland Administration shows that with a total wetland area of 53.6 million hectares, China ranks first in Asia and fourth in the world.

Guangdong has 1.75 million hectares of wetlands, 52 percent of which will be under protection by 2020.