Tag: Environment
The PRC’s Role in the Regional Flyway Initiative
Transcript
Migratory birds, travelers in the sky. There are over 800 species of migratory birds in the People’s Republic of China, including more than 280 species of waterbirds and over 510 species of land birds.
They are a fundamental part of the web of life and are essential to maintaining ecological balance. Wetlands, forests, grasslands, and deserts are the homes they rely on for survival.
Each year, tens of millions of migratory birds journey across mountains, rivers, and oceans. A grand migration etched into nature’s rhythm. The PRC is one of the countries with the highest diversity of birds in the world, with vast terrain, complex topography, and varied climates. The PRC supports some of the richest natural environments in the world for birds.
The PRC sits at the intersection of four of the world’s nine major flyways. And with these important values comes a responsibility to protect birds and their habitats. Yet these breathtaking journeys grow ever more perilous. More extreme weather events and continuous human development are encroaching on bird habitats, leaving some of them under threat.
Global warming and the frequent occurrence of extreme weather have reduced the suitable habitat area for birds such as the Siberian Crane, leading to frequent food shortages. Consequently, large numbers of birds have moved to agricultural fields to search for food, which has triggered human-bird conflicts.
Habitats along all flyways continue to be lost or degraded from clearance, pollution, climate change and invasive alien species. Combined with the limited capacity for resource monitoring, the protection and restoration of migratory birds’ habitats are extremely urgent.
To protect biodiversity, it is important to foster harmony between humans and birds. Protect nature, positive governance, and practical conservation measures. Over 2000 protected areas have been established in the PRC, which partly cover some of the habitats used by migratory birds. Migratory bird sanctuaries along the coast of the Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of PRC have been inscribed on the World Heritage List.
The PRC officially launched an action Plan for the Protection and Restoration of Migratory Birds Flyways 2024 to 2030. Accelerating actions for a connected Conservation Framework. Restoring critical ecosystems and addressing the gaps in management and monitoring capacity.
To support migratory bird conservation, the PRC has launched a two-year project: Research on Protection and Restoration Policy of Migratory Birds, with support from the Asian Development Bank.
The project is led by the National Development and Reform Commission, in close partnership with the National Forest and Grasslands Administration and Shanxi Forest and Grassland Bureau.
The project systematically evaluated the priority areas of the PRC’s conservation plans for migratory birds and their habitats. It identified conservation gaps, assessed the risks posed by global climate change to these flyways, and formulated plans to respond to global climate change.
The project is also part of an Asian Development Bank multi-country partnership, the Regional Flyway Initiative. This ambitious endeavor aims to conserve wetlands used by migratory waterbirds across the East Asian Australasian Flyway, spanning over 22 economies from the Northern to Southern hemispheres.
The PRC’s Role in the Regional Flyway Initiative
Millions of migratory birds rely on the diverse landscapes of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as they journey along the East Asian–Australasian Flyway. As part of the Regional Flyway Initiative (RFI), the PRC Government and ADB are working together to restore critical ecosystems and support long‑term ecological balance.
Transcript
Migratory birds, travelers in the sky. There are over 800 species of migratory birds in the People’s Republic of China, including more than 280 species of waterbirds and over 510 species of land birds.
They are a fundamental part of the web of life and are essential to maintaining ecological balance. Wetlands, forests, grasslands, and deserts are the homes they rely on for survival.
Each year, tens of millions of migratory birds journey across mountains, rivers, and oceans. A grand migration etched into nature’s rhythm. The PRC is one of the countries with the highest diversity of birds in the world, with vast terrain, complex topography, and varied climates. The PRC supports some of the richest natural environments in the world for birds.
The PRC sits at the intersection of four of the world’s nine major flyways. And with these important values comes a responsibility to protect birds and their habitats. Yet these breathtaking journeys grow ever more perilous. More extreme weather events and continuous human development are encroaching on bird habitats, leaving some of them under threat.
Global warming and the frequent occurrence of extreme weather have reduced the suitable habitat area for birds such as the Siberian Crane, leading to frequent food shortages. Consequently, large numbers of birds have moved to agricultural fields to search for food, which has triggered human-bird conflicts.
Habitats along all flyways continue to be lost or degraded from clearance, pollution, climate change and invasive alien species. Combined with the limited capacity for resource monitoring, the protection and restoration of migratory birds’ habitats are extremely urgent.
To protect biodiversity, it is important to foster harmony between humans and birds. Protect nature, positive governance, and practical conservation measures. Over 2000 protected areas have been established in the PRC, which partly cover some of the habitats used by migratory birds. Migratory bird sanctuaries along the coast of the Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of PRC have been inscribed on the World Heritage List.
The PRC officially launched an action Plan for the Protection and Restoration of Migratory Birds Flyways 2024 to 2030. Accelerating actions for a connected Conservation Framework. Restoring critical ecosystems and addressing the gaps in management and monitoring capacity.
To support migratory bird conservation, the PRC has launched a two-year project: Research on Protection and Restoration Policy of Migratory Birds, with support from the Asian Development Bank.
The project is led by the National Development and Reform Commission, in close partnership with the National Forest and Grasslands Administration and Shanxi Forest and Grassland Bureau.
The project systematically evaluated the priority areas of the PRC’s conservation plans for migratory birds and their habitats. It identified conservation gaps, assessed the risks posed by global climate change to these flyways, and formulated plans to respond to global climate change.
The project is also part of an Asian Development Bank multi-country partnership, the Regional Flyway Initiative. This ambitious endeavor aims to conserve wetlands used by migratory waterbirds across the East Asian Australasian Flyway, spanning over 22 economies from the Northern to Southern hemispheres.
Advancing the Regional Flyway Initiative: Lessons from the People’s Republic of China
Senior officials from developing member countries, experts from the PRC, ADB Board members and specialists, and representatives from international organizations participated in the seminar Advancing the Regional Flyway Initiative: Lessons from the People’s Republic of China on 26-27 May in HQ. Participants examined the PRC’s experience in wetland conservation and explored how successful approaches can be scaled across the Asia and the Pacific region. The seminar marked the fifth session of the East Asia Department-led Talk China series under the ADB-PRC Regional Knowledge Sharing Initiative.
In opening remarks, Executive Director Hongxia Li highlighted the PRC’s guiding philosophy and experiences in integrating ecological protection with high-quality development, advancing innovation, and strengthening partnerships—including collaboration with ADB. Vice-President for East and Southeast Asia, and the Pacific, Scott Morris spoke about ADB’s work on the Regional Flyway Initiative, which addresses multiple dimensions of development, such as environment, biodiversity, climate, pollution, sustainable livelihoods, poverty reduction, and social development.
Agenda
| Date/Time | Session |
|---|---|
| 09:00–09:20 | Opening Session Moderator: Lin Lu, Advisor, East Asia Department, ADB Opening remarks
|
| 09:20–09:50 | Keynote Speech
|
| 09:50–10:10 | Group Photo Tea Break |
| 10:10–11:30 | Panel 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:
Q & A |
| 11:30–13:30 | Lunch |
| 13:30–14:45 | Panel Discussion 2: Beyond the PRC: Scaling Success Moderator and Presenter: Duncan Lang, Principal Environment Specialist, Climate Change and Sustainable Development Department, ADB Panelists:
|
| 14:45–15:00 | Tea Break |
| 15:00–16:15 | Panel 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:
Q & A |
| 16:15–16:20 | Closing Remarks Muhammad Ehsan Khan, Director General, East Asia Department, ADB |
| Date/Time | Session |
|---|---|
| The Ideas Lab: A Brainstorm with ADB Sector Groups, Regional Departments and International Partners | |
| 09:00–09:20 | Scene Setting Opportunities Presentations—RFI Site Studies Duncan Lang, Principal Environment Specialist, Climate Change and Sustainable Development Department, ADB |
| 09:20-09:30 | ADB Existing RFI Project Pipeline Au Shion Yee, Principal Water Resources Specialist, Agriculture, Food, Nature, and Rural Development Sector Office, ADB |
| 09:30-10:00 | Facilitated Break-out Session—Discussions on Opportunities |
| 10:00–10:15 | Tea Break |
| 10:15–10:30 | Facilitated Break-out Session—Conclusions |
| 10:30-11:00 | RFI Opportunities—Nature Credits Guy Williams, International Advisory Panel on Biodiversity Advisor, ADB External Expert |
| 11:00-11:20 | Nature Credits—Open Discussion |
| 11:20-11:30 | Closing Remarks |
Day 1
Day 2
A Catchment Approach to Plastic Pollution Management: The Case of the Mulan River, People’s Republic of China
How Stable Financing and Sustainable Grazing Can Restore Grasslands
BEIJING, PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA – Long-term investment, better policies, and targeted restoration can restore grasslands, stabilize ecosystems and protect livelihoods across Asia and the Pacific.
Temperate grasslands are vital ecosystems that support rural livelihoods in Mongolia, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and many other countries.
In Mongolia, grasslands cover nearly 80% of the territory and are essential for the nomadic herding lifestyle of one-third of the population. In the People’s Republic of China, they account for almost 40% of the land area, supporting more than 18 million herders and pastoral households.
These grasslands provide important ecosystem services, which are the benefits derived from nature such as food, clean air and water, plants and wildlife. In this case, these benefits include carbon storage, water regulation, and biodiversity conservation. They also serve as significant carbon sinks, storing carbon in vegetation and soil.
By regulating water flows and preventing soil erosion, grasslands protect freshwater resources and enhance land productivity, offering habitat for countless wildlife species. Preserving grasslands is crucial for sustaining livelihoods, ensuring food security, and building resilience against extreme weather.
Decades of overgrazing and poor land management have led to widespread degradation in many countries.
Grassland restoration projects in the People’s Republic of China emphasize that the recovery of native grassland ecosystems should take precedence over introducing incompatible or short-lived technological fixes. Experts highlight the importance of ecological integrity, sustainability, and tailoring interventions to local conditions.
Large-scale programs in the People’s Republic of China combine the restoration of degraded grasslands, sand fixation technologies, and community engagement to combat desertification. These approaches underscore the importance of coherent policies and long-term investment in land restoration. Solutions such as rotational grazing, grass reseeding, and payment for ecosystem services show how economic incentives can align with ecological goals.
Stable, long-term domestic financing is needed to achieve Mongolia’s grassland restoration goals. Despite strong policy commitments, institutional and financial constraints limit vital actions, such as reducing livestock stocking rates, establishing rotational grazing systems, and allowing resting periods for degraded grasslands.
Without predictable and sustained financing, progress will remain fragmented and vulnerable to short-term funding cycles, undermining Mongolia’s ecological and resilience goals.
There is a high cost to delayed restoration. Rehabilitation of severely degraded rangelands costs roughly $13,000 per hectare.
With Mongolia’s 12 million hectares of degraded rangelands, this poses a significant future financial burden. Early, low-cost interventions offer the greatest returns by preventing irreversible ecological decline and substantially reducing future restoration costs by one-third.
There is also a need for a combination of top-down policy direction with bottom-up innovation, starting with targeted pilot programs supported by policies and testing, while refining approaches on the ground, and scaling up based on lessons learned.
Simply banning grazing creates conflicts. It is essential to create new opportunities for herders before implementing restrictions.
Mongolia aims to adopt an integrated approach by increasing investment in rangeland restoration, strengthening policies for sustainable grazing management, and promoting grassland-based livestock products and services.
The People’s Republic of China is transforming its livestock sector to a greener, lower-carbon, and higher-quality production system. This is being done through certified organic and eco-labeled products. These measures align ecological objectives with rural income growth.
Tools such as eco compensation and joint public-private funding show how financing can be broadened through a mix of public, private, and philanthropic sources. These approaches can spark long-term investment and draw in companies, cooperatives, and other groups working on land restoration and water management.
Techniques such as rainwater harvesting and efficient irrigation are also crucial for sustaining grasslands amid changing environmental conditions.
Remote sensing is used in the People’s Republic of China for ecological monitoring and early warning, offering practical models for data-driven environmental governance. This offers opportunities to enhance monitoring systems, support data-driven decision-making, and strengthen preparedness for environment-related risks.
By building on these insights, Mongolia and other countries facing such issues have a unique opportunity to champion a future where rangelands thrive, supporting biodiversity, resilience, and the livelihoods of millions across the region.
The blog post is based on findings from a study tour for senior government officials of Mongolia to the People’s Republic of China, funded by the Regional Knowledge Sharing Initiative, as Mongolia hosts the 17th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification.
Alexandra Vogl
Principal Climate Change Specialist, ADB Climate Change and Sustainable Development Department
Enkh-Amgalan Tseelei
Senior Climate Change Officer, ADB Mongolia Resident Mission
Lin Ji
Senior Climate Change Officer, ADB's Resident Mission in People's Republic of China\
Reproduced from blogs.adb.org.
ADB to Accelerate Low-Carbon Agriculture Development in Sichuan, PRC
MANILA, PHILIPPINES (28 November 2025) — The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a billion Chinese yuan ($140.89 million equivalent) loan to advance low-carbon, resilient agriculture in Sichuan Province, the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
The Sichuan Climate-Smart Low-Carbon Agriculture Development Demonstration Program will benefit more than 750,000 residents by enhancing agricultural resources and environmental assets, improving people’s living conditions, and providing sustainable livelihoods.
“This program is a strategic investment for ADB that will contribute toward a sustainable future for agriculture in the PRC,” said ADB Country Director for the PRC Asif Cheema. “By establishing a replicable model for low-carbon and climate-smart agriculture, we are not only building resilience for Sichuan Province but also creating a valuable and scalable blueprint for other regions and countries confronted by similar challenges.”
Sichuan is a major agricultural and grain-producing province that faces significant risks due to unsustainable practices, intensive land use, extensive terracing, and agricultural chemical overuse, which degrade soil and water quality. The increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events further exacerbate the negative impacts of human activities on communities and nature, undermine agricultural productivity, and threaten regional food security.
To address these problems, the program will employ a multifaceted approach. It will modernize farms and farming practices, integrate climate-smart agriculture and low-carbon production technologies, and adopt digital information services to assist farmers. The program will also help develop new policies and incentives, evaluate the effectiveness of voluntary carbon trading, and integrate emission reduction methodologies into local farming. It will promote the limited use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, strengthen rural communities’ resilience against hazards, and help the PRC meet its national carbon reduction and neutrality targets.
The program will protect and restore the environment by rehabilitating farmlands and replacing inefficient irrigation systems. It will also improve knowledge sharing and foster local expertise in low-carbon agriculture and rural development.
ADB is a leading multilateral development bank supporting inclusive, resilient, and sustainable growth across Asia and the Pacific. Working with its members and partners to solve complex challenges together, ADB harnesses innovative financial tools and strategic partnerships to transform lives, build quality infrastructure, and safeguard our planet. Founded in 1966, ADB is owned by 69 members—50 from the region.
Reproduced from ADB.org.
Highlights: Harnessing AI to Promote High-Quality Development
RKSI Supports Mongolian High-level Officials Learning from PRC on Desertification Control and Water Resource Management
BEIJING, PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA (3−8 November 2025) – A high-level study tour of Mongolian officials to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) provided practical insights for the COP 17 Legacy Program: Global Rangeland Initiative, as Mongolia prepares to host COP 17 in August 2026. From 3–8 November, a Mongolian delegation from the Parliament and the Government visited the PRC to exchange experiences and innovative practices on desertification control, grassland restoration, and water management. Grasslands are vital for both Mongolia and the PRC, as they support biodiversity, help regulate the climate, and sustain the livelihoods of pastoral communities. Member of Parliament and Special Ambassador for COP 17 Mongolia, Munkhbayasgalan Luvsanbyambaa, stressed the importance of learning from successful PRC models on grassland restoration and sustainable livestock development, backed by public, private, and philanthropic investments. During the visit, the delegation learned about PRC initiatives to transform the livestock sector into a high-quality, green, traceable, and integrated value chain. They also visited project sites under ADB’s Chao Lake Rehabilitation Project, where they exchanged views with local officials and the project management office on wetland restoration, water resource management, and eco-compensation practices. The visit was organized with support from the ADB–PRC Regional Knowledge Sharing Initiative (RKSI) and jointly facilitated by EARD and CCRE to promote knowledge exchange and cooperation in addressing grassland ecosystem degradation in Mongolia. Enkh-Amgalan Tseelei, Lin Ji
