Environmental Monitoring for Water Heritage: Innovations and Challenges for the Grand Canal of Suzhou, China

Authors

  • Ting Wang

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DOI:

https://doi.org/10.58981/bluepapers.2025.2.08

Keywords:

UNESCO World Heritage, Grand Canal, environmental monitoring, water management, climate change

Abstract

The Grand Canal in China is a regional waterway infrastructure serving multiple functions, including transportation and water regulation, and historically, it has supported economic growth and urbanization along its route. Within China’s unique decentralized environmental management system, the multifaceted value of the Grand Canal presents distinct challenges, including inter-regional and inter-departmental challenges. This article examines the latest water management initiatives along the Suzhou section of the Grand Canal and explores the role of environmental monitoring in protecting this UNESCO World Heritage property. The experimental integration of water-surface-aerial heritage monitoring with the Joint Meeting System in Suzhou provides a nuanced perspective on the interplay between technology and sustainable development.

How to Cite

Wang, T. (2025). Environmental Monitoring for Water Heritage: Innovations and Challenges for the Grand Canal of Suzhou, China. Blue Papers, 4(2). https://doi.org/10.58981/bluepapers.2025.2.08

Published

2025-11-19

Issue

Vol. 4 No. 2 (2025): Water Management in World Heritage Properties at a Time of Climate Change

Section

methodologies and case studies

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Ting Wang

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Author Biography

Ting Wang

Ting Wang is a postdoctoral fellow at the School of Architecture, Chinese University of Hong Kong. She received her PhD in landscape architecture from the University of Hong Kong, where she teaches courses in landscape history and seminars on Ecological Restoration and Wetland Creation. Her research interests focus on environmental governance and landscape heritage. Her dissertation explores the politics of wetland park construction in Tai Lake Basin, China. She is a special editor for Urban China magazine and Guangdong Landscape Architecture. She initiated an ongoing column, “A New Normal for Nature,” in The Paper News, which focuses on the challenges, actions and desires of Chinese conservation practitioners who are experiencing ecological anxiety.

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