China, People's Republic of : Strategic Research of Promoting Ecological Protection and High-Quality Development in the Yellow River Basin through Economic and Intensive Water Use

Agriculture, natural resources and rural development / Water-based natural resources management

The knowledge and support technical assistance (TA) cluster was approved on 28 October 2020. The overall TA cluster is estimated at $1.932 million. The subproject is estimated to cost $300,000 and will be financed on a grant basis from the Technical Assistance Special Fund (TASF-other sources) of the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The Yellow River Conservancy Commission (YRCC) under the Ministry of Water Resources will serve as the implementing agency of the subproject. The design and monitoring framework of the subproject is in Appendix 1.

Output 1: Assessment of the status and prospects for water sector in the Yellow River basin prepared. This will include: (i) a water resources profile of the river basin; (ii) review of the past, ongoing, and proposed initiatives including programs and policies targeting the development and management of the water sectors, an assessment of their impacts and remaining legal and regulatory gaps and market instruments that support sustainable water sectors; (iii) international best practices and implications for water resources management in the Yellow River basin; and (iv) assessment of water security risks and identification of options. These activities will be benefited from integrated river basin (hydro-meteorological, climate change, land use, etc.) modelling, supply and demand analysis, and institutional and policy gaps as well as need assessments.

The water resources assessment will be complemented by a set of water security case studies based on the approach accepted by ADB, preferably using Asian Development Outlook proposed methodology. These case studies will include: (i) household water security: nonrevenue water reduction, and ruralurban integration and reform for access to water supply; (ii) economic water security: water food nexus, water energy nexus, and inland water transport; (iii) urban water security: storm-water resources management, urban flood management, and urban wastewater and water supply; (iv) environmental water security: sustainable groundwater management, eco-compensation schemes in interprovincial river basins, cleaning up water in the PRC (lessons from reviving Chao Lake), and agricultural nonpoint source pollution management; (v) resilience to water-related disasters: water-related disaster risk management; and (vi) cross-cutting issues: water allocation schemes in river sub-basins.

Output 2: Strategic direction and project pipeline on water resources management recommended. Activities will include: (i) identification of key issues and options in water resources management as an input to the strategic directions covering: (a) soil and water conservation measures; (b) water efficiency improvement measures; (c) water trading and other business models; and (d) water stewardship; (ii) formulation of water resources management strategy for a green economy to 2030 in Yellow River basin; (iii) presentation of recommendations to the Ministry of Finance and ADB management for possible cooperation; (iv) identification of specific recommendations and formulation of concept papers for water resources management lending and nonlending projects; and (v) identification of specific recommendations for water resources management programs of the PRC and ADB to enhance strategic relations for capacity building.

Output 3: Stakeholder engagement mechanism established. Activities will include: (i) establishment of a cross-agency expert panel; (ii) organization of various working group meetings in the PRC targeting government officials responsible for Yellow River basin development, to share a summary of the findings of Outputs 12, and to obtain feedback and current challenges; (iii) conduct of three stakeholder consultation workshops to reach consensus on the strategic recommendations; (iv) presentation of the findings in selected domestic and international workshops and conferences hosted by other ADB member countries; (v) development of 23 brief news items, articles or blogs on subproject findings, and publish on various international platforms such as Development Asia; and (vi) development of a knowledge product summarizing findings from Outputs 12.

Resilient ecological protection and security in the Yellow River basin achieved

High-quality green agricultural development opportunities in Yellow River basin increased.

Assessment of the status and prospects for water sector in the Yellow River basin prepared

Strategic direction and project pipeline on water resources management recommended

Stakeholder engagement mechanism established

ADB will carry out procurement following the ADB Procurement Policy (2017, as amended from time to time) and its associated project administration instructions and/or TA staff instructions.