The Interim Mission of Henan Xichuan Project Was Held Successfully

In order to better support and implement the Assessment, Recording, Monitoring,and Management of Natural Resource Assets in National Key Ecological Function Zones Action Plan formulated by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China, the Asian Development Bank (hereinafter referred to as "ADB") approved the loan project "Preparing Environmental and Rural Development Projects - Henan Xichuan Integrated Ecological Protection and Environmental Improvement Project " (hereinafter referred to as "the project") in September 2019. This project aimed at assisting Xichuan County to promote ecological environmental protection and comprehensive governance implementation from the following aspects: 1) urban-rural integrated development; 2) improvement of rural public services; and 3) improvement of rural solid waste and wastewater management. The purpose is giving a priority to build eco-friendly and livalbe villages through improving the rural environment. The total investment of the project is about USD 394 million, among which ADB loan is USD 200 million. As an independent county-level ADB loan project in Henan Province, it will vigorously promote the building the “Environment Friendly Society Project” at the source of the Middle Route of South-to-North Water Diversion Project. ADB hired NAREE International Consulting Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "NAREE") to organize a technical assistance team (hereinafter referred to as "TA team") to carry out the project consulting services.

On May 14, 2020, NAREE organized relevant departments and specialists to conduct group discussion and centralized discussion through online meeting, and successfully held the Interim Mission of the project. Mr. Rabindra Osti, the Senior Water Resources Specialist from ADB, led the ADB mission to conduct a review of the project content, project implementation feasibility and other issues. WANG Yu, the deputy director of Henan Development and Reform Commission, ZHANG Zhigang, the manager of Foreign Economic Cooperation Department of Henan Provincial Department of Finance, YANG Xiaohong, the chief of Foreign Investment Sectionof Nanyang Municipal Development and Reform Commission, XIAN Wenbo, the chief of Foreign Economic Section of Nanyang Municipal Finance Bureau, QIAN Xun, the member of County Committee, and other officers attended the Interim Mission and delivered speeches. People from Xichuan County Finance Bureau, Xichuan County Water Conservancy Bureau, Xichuan County Housing and Construction Bureau, Xichuan County Agriculture and Rural Bureau, Xichuan County Tourism Development Center, Xichuan County Environmental Protection Bureau, Yangtze River Survey and Planning and Design Institute, Yangtze River Academy of Sciences, Nanyang Environmental Assessment Institute, and the NAREE TA members from all over the world participated in the Mission online and provided valuable comments and implementation suggestions for the interim outputs.

In the Mission, the NAREE TA team leader explained the findings and the background analysis in the interim report. Subsequently, specialists from the TA team also conducted interim research reports on the contents of sub-projects, such as ecological compensation, soil and water conservation, and remote sensing monitoring, social and resettlement, and project financing and economic development. Druing the Mission, the ADB project manager, project management officers, and relevant departments of the Henan Provincial Government and Xichuan County Government conducted discussions on the findings and challenges of the project.

After 5 days of discussion, the participants agreed that the project has delivered satisfactory outputs in the interim period, and it should be contining to deepen the case studies in the key areas to lay a solid foundation for the final outputs. The Loan Fact-Funding Mission of this project will be held in August. At that time, the TA team specialists will give a stage report to the relevant national ministries and commissions on the demonstration impact of the project to provide the following policy formulation with reference, effectiveness and sustainability, and strive to maximize the demonstration effect of this project.