The Yellow River Delta is one of China’s most iconic coastal wetlands, known for its “Red Carpet” of Suaeda salsa and as a key habitat for endangered birds like Saunders’s Gull. However, due to climate change, human activities, and altered water–salt dynamics, over 70% of Suaeda salsa marshes have been lost in the past 40 years. 

To address this degradation, a Nature-based Solutions (NbS) approach was applied using microtopography—natural land depressions and mounds—to improve seed retention, reduce salinity stress, and enable self-sustaining vegetation recovery. This low-cost, scalable method was expanded across 2,000 hectares of degraded marshland by 2024, tripling the Suaeda salsa area in size. Restoration techniques were incorporated into the Master Plan for the Yellow River Estuary National Park. This case illustrates an innovative, efficient, and replicable NbS model for coastal wetland restoration in northern China, offering lasting ecological and biodiversity benefits.