Seminar & Lecture Series

Advancing the Regional Flyway Initiative: Lessons from the People's Republic of China

26 May 2026 - 27 May 2026 Manila, Philippines

Experts will discuss the PRC’s experience in wetland conservation and explore how successful approaches can be replicated elsewhere while identifying collaborative opportunities for advancing the Regional Flyway Initiative (RFI).

Organized under the ADB–PRC Regional Knowledge Sharing Initiative (RKSI)—a South–South knowledge cooperation platform—the seminar brings together government officials, experts, and ADB RFI project managers and beneficiaries. Senior policymakers from Bangladesh, Cambodia, the People’s Republic of China, Mongolia, the Philippines, and Thailand—alongside representatives from other international organizations—will also take part, offering their perspectives on advancing the RFI in the region.

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Agenda
Date/TimeSession
09:00–09:20Opening Session
Moderator: Lin Lu, Advisor, East Asia Department, ADB

Opening remarks
  • Hongxia Li, Executive Director, ADB
  • Scott Morris, Vice-President (East and Southeast Asia, and the Pacific), ADB
09:20–09:50Keynote Speech
  • Lijuan Cui, Vice President, Chinese Academy of Forestry, National Forestry and Grassland Administration, the PRC
  • Guangchun Lei, Vice Chair, and Secretary General of the National Wetland Science and Technology Committee, the PRC
09:50–10:10Group Photo
Tea Break
10:10–11:30Panel Discussion 1: Insights from the PRC’s Regional Flyway Initiative Journey

Moderator and Presenter: Zhiming Niu, Lead Project Officer, Agriculture, Food, Nature, and Rural Development Sector Office, ADB

Panelists:
  • Bertrand Furno, Executive Director, ADB
  • Sinong Yu, Party Secretary of Huangjian Town, Tinghu District, Yancheng City, Jiangsu Province, the PRC
  • Hinako Maruyama, Senior Urban Development Specialist, SD2, ADB
  • Mingming Jia, Professor, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
  • Lei Wang, Secretary-General, Ecotourism Branch of China Tourism Association; Founder & CEO, Yunjoy Nature


Q & A
11:30–13:30Lunch
13:30–14:45Panel Discussion 2: Beyond the PRC: Scaling Success

Moderator and Presenter: Duncan Lang, Principal Environment Specialist, Climate Change and Sustainable Development Department, ADB

Panelists:
  • Rolando Tungpalan, Alternate Executive Director, ADB
  • Yong Ye, Deputy Director General, CWRD, ADB
  • Natthiya Kongphuthorn, Director, Knowledge Management and Development Division, Biodiversity-based Economy Development Office, Thailand
  • Mustafa Murshed, Joint Secretary, Economic Relations Division, Ministry of Finance, Bangladesh

    Q & A
14:45–15:00Tea Break
15:00–16:15Panel Discussion 3: Shared Mission, Stronger Together: Partnering with International Organizations

Moderator: Au Shion Yee, Principal Water Resources Specialist, Agriculture, Food, Nature, and Rural Development Sector Office, ADB

Presenters:
  • Ye Wang, Deputy Director, Convention Implementation Division II, Foreign Environmental Cooperation Center, Ministry of Ecology and Environment (Online, TBC)
  • Terry Townshend, Advisor, Paulson Institute (Online)


      Panelists:
      • DMC delegate (PHI)
      • DMC delegate (MON/CAM)
      • Vinayagan Dharmarajah, Regional Director (Asia), BirdLife International
      • Yoon Lee, Deputy Chief Executive, East Asian Australasian Flyway Partnership


      Q & A
16:15–16:20Closing Remarks
Muhammad Ehsan Khan, Director General, East Asia Department, ADB
Date/TimeSession
The Ideas Lab: A Brainstorm with ADB Sector Groups, Regional Departments and International Partners
09:00–09:40Presentations on RFI Nature Credits and Site Studies
Duncan Lang, Principal Environment Specialist, Climate Change and Sustainable Development Department, ADB
09:40–11:30Free discussions

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