A flock of Chinese mergansers spends the winter in Lishui. [Photo/WeChat account: wxlishui]

The development of infrastructure in Lishui city in East China's Zhejiang province recently made way for the protection for biodiversity.

That's when the city's Daxi River renovation project was replanned to protect the habitat of the scaly-sided merganser, or Chinese merganser.

The Chinese merganser is an endangered species. It is a first-class national protected creature in China, with the bird very particular about its living environment and ecological conditions.

Every October to April, a large number of Chinese mergansers come to Jiulong National Wetland Park to overwinter. But green belt construction and human activities along the Daxi River threatened their survival, according to Chen Zhiwei, a deputy of the Lishui Municipal People's Congress.

Chen is a birdwatcher and he made a suggestion last year to the Lishui Municipal People's Congress for the Daxi River renovation project to be reappraised.

After study and an evaluation by experts, the project was reassessed. The green belt design now bypasses the Chinese merganser's wintering habitat and the construction of the project will only start after the birds leave.

Moving forwards, plans are for Lishui to continue in its sustainable development, to transform itself into a leading city in the country's biodiversity protection.