China, People's Republic of : Guangxi Wuzhou Urban Development Project

Transport / Urban roads and traffic management

Water and other urban infrastructure and services / Other urban services - Urban housing

Wuzhou city is a medium-sized city in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Over centuries, Wuzhou has served as a gateway city and regional transportation center to connect Guangxi with national and international markets, particularly through river transportation. In line with the Government's development program, Wuzhou will be developed into a multimode regional transportation hub through domestically funded ongoing transportation projects.

However, geological and geographic conditions constrain urban development in Wuzhou. The city is in a mountainous region divided into three parts by two big rivers. Because flat urban land is lacking, the residents tended to build their houses in the marginal lands, which were gradually expanding up the mountains along slopes of major valleys. The mountains in Wuzhou are mainly formed by loose earth, eroded granite, and clastic rocks. As such, they are vulnerable to rain-triggered geological disasters (known as geohazards) in the form of landslides, slope collapse, and mud and debris flows. Many of these valleys, though densely populated, have been classified as geohazard-prone zones.

With support from the central Government, the Wuzhou municipal government (WMG) has made enormous investments to strengthen the control of geological disasters, mainly by building and rehabilitating of the slope protections and retaining walls. However, such traditional control measures have not always been economical and optimal solutions. Under severe weather conditions, these slope protections and retaining walls can be washed away together with houses and other buildings.

The Guangxi Wuzhou Urban Development Project will adopt a new approach to address the geohazard concern of the city. The basic principle of this new approach to geohazard management is a shift from disaster rehabilitation to prevention. Under the Project, geological disasters are to be prevented through holistic urban planning and integrated public investment. The combination of these efforts will result in (i) carefully designed urban planning for long-term urban expansion, (ii) relocation of the people living in the geohazard-prone valley to the newly developed geohazard-free urban area, (iii) engineering measures for geohazard control to convert the evacuated geohazard-prone valley into geohazard-free land for urban redevelopment, and (iv) stronger geohazard forecasting and early warning capability to improve the effectiveness of the city's geohazard management system.

The Project is aimed at promoting sustainable urban development and improving quality of life in Wuzhou. The outcomes of the Project include improved environmental management through the enhanced disaster management and infrastructure and improved municipal services, particularly in the areas of wastewater management and solid waste management.

A well-serviced resettlement community is constructed in Zaochong, and is equipped with quality housing and municipal infrastructure

About 1,721 families and 24 enterprises (6,505 persons) have been evacuated from the geohazard-prone Pingminchong valley and properly relocated to the newly constructed resettlement community

Geohazard-prone Pingminchong valley is systematically and thoroughly treated with anti-geohazard engineering measures to become 21.27 ha of landslide-free land for urban redevelopment

A 32.5 km urban road network is constructed in Hongling area together with associated municipal infrastructure, including drainage and sewage pipelines to promote and facilitate urban expansion away from the geohazard zones

A GIS-compatible geohazard forecasting and early warning system is introduced and put into operation to strengthen the geohazard management system

Substantial short-term jobs become available, reducing poverty

Completed in December 2013.

Completed.

Completed.

Completed. Follow up surveys have been conducted by the external resettlement monitor.

The work is expected to be completed in Feb 2016.

Approximately 75.3% of the work has been completed.

Installation of the GIS-compatible geohazard forecasting and early warning system completed at Wuzhou Geohazard Management Center for geohazard management operation

As of December 2014, 2,850 short-term job was created, of which approximately 20%, 23% and 10% were taken by women, poor and ethnic minorities, respectively. Next reporting will be at the end of January 2016.

As of December 2014, 2,850 short-term job was created, of which approximately 23% and 10% were taken by the poor and ethnic minority. Next reporting will be at the end of January 2016.

As of December 2014, 2,850 short-term job was created, of which approximately 20% were taken by women. Next reporting will be at the end of January 2016.

As of December 2014, 2,850 short-term job was created. Next reporting will be at the end of January 2016.

Project documents publicly disclosed at the project management office (PMO) of the WMG and on the ADB website include the project information document, design and monitoring framework, resettlement plans, summary EIA, report and recommendation of the President, public sector legal agreement, project administration memorandum, and social and environmental monitoring reports. Information booklets outlining the resettlement plans will be distributed to each affected household, and disclosure meetings will be held. Copies of the booklets will be made available at the PMO and each affected village office. To enhance the geohazard preparedness and environmental benefits of the Project, specialized consulting services will be provided under the Project to strengthen the geohazard and environmental awareness in communities through the existing mass-based geohazard monitoring and early warning system in Wuzhou.

As of September 2015, 1 loan inception, 6 loan review and 1 loan midterm review missions were fielded. Each mission holds a consultation meeting with different APs from Pingminchong and Hongling components. The midterm review also confirmed that, following the ADB's past suggestions, the PMO has been conducted a continuous monitoring and assessment to follow up the status of the APs' resettlement process, and its compliance to the ADB's Safeguard Policy.