Photo taken on Oct. 23, 2020 shows the autumn view of Xihai Wetland Park in Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua/Luo Xiaoguang)

Beijing aims to restore 1,000 hectares of wetland this year, beefing up its environmental protection efforts, local authorities have said.

The Chinese capital has added 11,000 hectares of wetland in the past five years, raising its total wetland area to 58,700 hectares, according to the Beijing Gardening and Greening Bureau.

Beijing has constructed six wetland sanctuaries and 12 wetland parks over the past five years, after the city incorporated wetland restoration into its afforestation drive to manage its natural environment in a more systematic way, the bureau said.

The city's wetlands, which now cover 3.6 percent of its total landmass, consist of 27,900 hectares of natural wetland, including rivers, lakes and swamps, and another 30,800 hectares of artificial wetland, according to the latest survey.