- The official name of the river in Chinese is Changjiang. The name "Yangtze" is only used for the lower reaches of the river, but became the official name used in the West.
- Stretching for 6,300km, the Yangtze is the longest river in China and the 3rd longest in the world.
- The Yangtze river basin covers nearly 180 million hectares, an area more than 4 times the size of the US state of California and 7 times the size of the UK.
- The river basin accounts for: 40% of China's freshwater resources; more than 70% of the country’s rice production, 50% of its grain; more than 70% of fishery production; and 40% of China’s GDP.
- Approximately 400 million people live along the Yangtze River and its 700 tributaries.
- The region is known to support over 200 fish species, more than 84 mammal species, 60 amphibian species and 87 reptile species.
- More than 800 lakes in the central Yangtze have been lost to land reclamation.
Facts & Figures
Yangtze, China
What WWF is doing
China's Garden of Eden
From its headwaters fed by glaciers on the roof of the world, the Tibetan Plateau, the Yangtze River winds through deep mountain gorges and dense forests eastward to the mouth of the East China Sea.
The region's unique system of rivers and lakes, and mountain forests forms a garden of Eden, marked by rich biodiversity and wildlife.The rivers support dwindling populations of such rare creatures as the Yangtze's river dolphin, finless porpoise and alligator. The lakes provide critical habitat for migratory birds, including 95% of the wintering Siberian crane population. And the forested mountains jetting out above the river are home to the country's iconic giant panda.
Taming the dragon
While the Yangtze river basin is one of the most unique and significant ecosystems in the world, the region's environment is under threat.Densely populated and heavily industrialized cities have led to high levels of pollution and habitat loss. Deforestation and loss of wetlands to agriculture have increasingly led to floods.
The Yangtze river basin is also threatened by dams, which alter that natural flow of the river.
Not just panda protection
Since coming to China in the 1960s to work on panda conservation, WWF is today on the ground in the Yangtze river basin to:- promote sustainable development
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restore floodplains, lakes and wetlands
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protect wildlife habitats and forests
- improve livelihoods of people who have depended on the Yangtze for centuries
Where is the Yangtze Basin?
The Yangtze Basin is highlighted in green below.
View WWF Critical Regions of the World in a larger map
View WWF Critical Regions of the World in a larger map
Last of the Yangtze River dolphins
Polluted waters, intensive fishing activity and busy shipping traffic along the Yangtze have all contributed to the demise of the Yangtze River dolphin, or baiji (Lipotes vexillifer), one of the world's most critically endangered river dolphins.
The river dolphin once lived in the lower and middle reaches of the Yangtze River, Fuchun River, and in Dongting and Poyang lakes. About 100 were thought to survive in the middle reaches, but a 2006 survey failed to sight any individuals, raising fears that the species is one step closer to extinction.
The river dolphin once lived in the lower and middle reaches of the Yangtze River, Fuchun River, and in Dongting and Poyang lakes. About 100 were thought to survive in the middle reaches, but a 2006 survey failed to sight any individuals, raising fears that the species is one step closer to extinction.