Suzhou was one of nine Chinese cities officially accredited as International Wetland Cities on July 24 during the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties of the Convention on Wetlands (COP 15), held in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.

There are now 74 International Wetland Cities globally, with China home to the largest number at 22. Jiangsu Province leads the country with three recognized cities: Changshu, Yancheng and Suzhou.

Suzhou is known for its distinctive urban layout of "parallel waterways and roads, with rivers bordering neighborhoods." Abundant in wetland resources, the city has pioneered China’s wetland ecological compensation system. This initiative provides annual ecological compensation to 204 communities and villages, fostering awareness and sustainable use of wetland environments.

The city has also led the nation in establishing a biodiversity assessment system. It has built the Taihu Lake Wetland Ecosystem Research Station, which is part of the Chinese National Ecosystem Research Network (CNERN). This station manages 100 bird monitoring sites and 100 water quality monitoring zones, generating over 7 million data entries annually.

Furthermore, Suzhou has established 14 national and local wetland parks and 11 schools featuring wetland education programs. In 2024, the city selected 12 villages as the first group of model wetland villages, showcasing the unique features of International Wetland Cities.