Tag: Environment

Rehabilitating the Chao Lake Basin in the PRC

Integrated water pollution control has helped improve the water quality of the Chao Lake. Photo credit: Chao Lake Management Authority.

Strengthening the capacity of the new lake authority was a critical success factor in implementing an integrated lake basin management project.

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Overview

The area around Chao Lake, the fifth-largest freshwater lake in the People’s Republic of China (PRC), has experienced tremendous economic growth from 2000 to 2009. This has resulted in a 30% increase in the urban population within the lake basin catchment and a fivefold increase in gross domestic product (GDP). However, this remarkable progress came at an environmental cost. In 2010, the lake’s overall water quality was considered Class V, the worst grade under the PRC’s national environmental water quality standard.[1]

To decouple economic growth from environmental degradation, the Anhui Provincial Government crafted the Master Plan for Integrated Water Environmental Management of Chao Lake Basin (2008–2020). This unprecedented plan set forth a basic framework aimed at enhancing the water quality of Chao Lake while safeguarding its economic, ecological, and aesthetic values by adopting the integrated water resources management approach.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) was invited by the Anhui Provincial Government in 2010 to support the implementation of this master plan through its lending program. The Anhui Chao Lake Environmental Rehabilitation Project put a great emphasis on institutional capacity building to support the then newly established Chao Lake Management Authority that has primary authority and responsibility for managing the lake. It is the first lake or river management agency in the PRC that has a sufficiently comprehensive management purview and the first to deal with all aspects of the water cycle.[2] The project also made significant engineering investments toward controlling nonindustrial municipal point source pollution and nonpoint source pollution.

With the help of the Anhui Chao Lake Environmental Rehabilitation Project, the lake’s water quality began to show signs of recovery. By 2021, the lake’s water quality improved to Class IV,[3] while the basin economy experienced increased GDP at an estimated 11% compound annual growth rate.

The project offers valuable insights on supporting new river basin authorities for integrated water resources management and offers replicable lessons and best practices that other regions within and beyond the PRC could benefit from.

Project information

44036-013 : Anhui Chao Lake Environmental Rehabilitation Project in the People’s Republic of China

Project snapshot

      • Approval date: 16 November 2012
      • Closing date: 31 March 2021
      • Total project cost: $413 million
      • Executing agency: Anhui Provincial Government, People’s Republic of China
      • Financing: Asian Development Bank

Context

The Chao Lake basin covers 13,545 square kilometers or about 10% of the total area of Anhui province, with some 40 tributaries belonging to seven major river systems flowing into it. The lake serves as a crucial component of the province’s industrial and agricultural water supply, water transport, tourism, and recreational activities. The population in the basin totaled about 11.9 million in 2020.

The Chao Lake basin covers 13,545 square kilometers (within the gray line boundary). Around the Chao Lake, there were still significant lands used for farming (light brown areas in the colored belt around the lake). The most densely populated area in the basin is the urban area of Hefei Municipality, the capital city of Anhui Province (the large gray area above the lake). The background is the remote sensing image from October 2020. Photo credit: Chao Lake Management Authority.

The lake’s water environment has suffered significantly because of the adverse effects of rapid economic growth and urban development since 1990. Recognizing its poor water quality, the national government designated it as one of three priority lakes for environmental rehabilitation in 1996.

Despite substantial resources being invested in controlling pollution within the lake basin and industrial pollution being largely under control by 2010, Chao Lake continued to be besieged by excessive amounts of organic matter, nitrogen, and phosphorous, which contributed to it retaining a Class V water quality status in 2010.

Challenge

Back then, the primary pollutant sources in the Chao Lake were nonindustrial municipal point source pollution. The sewerage system coverage and wastewater treatment capacity in the urban area were woefully inadequate, leading to a considerable amount of untreated domestic wastewater in towns being discharged into water bodies.

The nonpoint source pollution was also significant and largely to be addressed, including waste from animal farming, nitrogen and phosphorous runoff from farmers’ fields, unsewered rural households, resuspension of polluted sediments, and erosion of riverbanks during high flow conditions.

Pressures from economic growth and urban development were expected to continue, if not increase, based on strategic plans for the Chao Lake basin. The Anhui Provincial Government and the Ministry of Environmental Protection signed a cooperation agreement to manage the environmental implications of these developments, but concerns for increased water pollution remained.

In 2011, the Anhui Provincial Government established the Chao Lake Management Authority as one of the PRC’s pioneering agencies tasked with overseeing all aspects of lake water quality and use. However, the agency faced challenges related to acquiring necessary knowledge and skills on integrated lake basin management due to limited precedents in the PRC to learn from and staff inexperience. It also needed to gain the cooperation of different sectors and agencies to effectively coordinate efforts related to lake rehabilitation.

Solutions

In 2012, ADB approved a $250 million loan aimed at enhancing the water resources and environment in Chao Lake and its upstream rivers. The project sought to improve residents’ quality of life and ensure sustainability of the aquatic ecosystem within the lake basin. To achieve these goals, the project expanded and enhanced municipal wastewater treatment, made new investments in nonpoint source pollution control, and bolstered the institutional capacity of Chao Lake Management Authority through an integrated approach.

Capacity building included organizing training programs and study tours for staff, delivering a UNESCO–Institute for Water Education (IHE) capacity-building program, financing water quality monitoring equipment, and providing consulting services. The consulting services supported research on an integrated management mechanism for Chao Lake basin based on function zoning, blue-green algae early warning system development based on a water quality-water turbulence model, and water environment intelligent supervision and spatial data management system development.

The project constructed wastewater collection systems in developed urban areas where the wastewater was unsewered and untreated, and intercepted sewer discharges flowed directly into tributaries of Chao Lake. A total of 640 kilometers (km) of the sewer network and 15 wastewater pumping stations were constructed, expanding the capacity of the wastewater collection system by 540,400 cubic meters (m3) per day. The project also built 10 wastewater treatment plants with 176,000 m3/day treatment capacity.

The project dredged 112 km of river course to remove nutrient-rich sediments from the beds of rivers flowing into Chao Lake to prevent excessive plant and algal growth; built 160 km of embankment to reduce soil erosion and enhance the flood protection of adjoining lands; and implemented a solid waste collection and transfer subproject to control a troublesome source of floating objects. It also established 430 hectares (ha) of lakeside and riverine wetlands to reduce nutrient loads going into the lake, enhance habitats for wildlife, and absorb the wind-induced waves that break down the banks. It piloted nonpoint source pollution control in rural areas, focusing on agricultural pollution sources.

As part of nonpoint source pollution control measures, 20 training sessions were conducted in rural communities for technology-extension workers and local farmers on such topics as organic agriculture and certification of organic produce, nonpoint source pollution control technology, principle and method for fertilizer selection and application, green control of pest and diseases, and rice and shrimp co-cropping.

In total, 14 training programs and 14 study tours were organized for Chao Lake Management Authority staff. Capacity building activities covered river basin management and integrated water resources management, eco-compensation, innovative mechanisms on pollution control, regulation formulation and enforcement, ecological restoration and security, nonpoint source pollution control, water quality and hydrodynamics modeling, remote sensing and environmental monitoring, environmental impact assessment, and project management.

In addition, a UNESCO–IHE (Institute for Water Education) capacity building program supported the project through the following activities:

  • facilitated the development of a pilot institutional framework, which clarifies Chao Lake Management Authority’s internal structure and jurisdiction in relation to existing provincial agencies,
  • assessed the technical and administrative training needs of staff,
  • developed the understanding and capacity of staff to apply the principles of integrated water resources management, and
  • established links between the Chao Lake Management Authority and lake and river basin management authorities elsewhere in the PRC and globally to facilitate the exchange of management experiences and knowledge.

Three consulting services packages for study and system development works were also implemented.

Results

Through the sewer network and wastewater treatment plant component, the chemical oxygen demand discharge was reduced by 22,313 tons per year, the ammonia nitrogen discharge by 3,142 tons per year, and the phosphorus discharge by 413 tons per year. Dredging activities removed about 2,506 tons of total nitrogen and 919 tons of total phosphorus from the Chao Lake and its tributaries. Constructed wetlands of 430 ha also helped remove about 15 tons of total phosphorus, 71 tons of chemical oxygen demand, and 36 tons of ammonia nitrogen each year.

Overall, the project benefited approximately 2.54 million people, of whom 49.1% are women and 8.2% from low-income households. Benefits included an improved living environment and better access to water resources. About 1,000 agricultural technology-extension workers and local farmers participated in training sessions on agricultural nonpoint source pollution reduction and environmentally friendly agriculture.

With the project assistance, the Chao Lake Management Authority established its authority and enhanced its capacity for managing the lake basin. Its human resources attained the staff skills needed to achieve its objectives. An information system and monitoring facility was established and has been issuing an annual monitoring report on the ecological health of the lake since 2017.

The government expanded the Chao Lake Management Authority’s original mandate and entrusted it with a greater role in lake basin management. This enhanced the institution’s sustainability as well as demonstrated the strong commitment of the Anhui Provincial Government to integrated water resources management in the lake basin.

The overall water quality in Chao Lake was restored to Class IV in 2021 from Class V in 2010. The water quality of the eight upstream rivers flowing into the Chao Lake with national control sections also largely improved. In 2021, the annual water quality assessment of the national control sections of the lake basin fully reached the required standard. Since 2021, the endangered Ciconia boyciana (Oriental Stork) and Emberiza aureola (Yellow-breasted Bunting) have become frequent visitors to the lake because of the improved aquatic ecosystem. This improvement occurred alongside significant economic growth in the region, with the GDP of the Chao Lake basin increasing from CNY70 million (about $9.7 million) in 2017 to CNY108 million (about $15 million) in 2021, representing an approximate 11% compound annual increase.

Lessons

Institutional capacity. The creation of a primary institution to manage the lake was important for integrated river basin management. However, turning a good concept into reality took time and required an evolutionary process. At the beginning, the Chao Lake Management Authority struggled to establish its authority and distinguish its responsibilities from related provincial line departments. Persistent efforts enabled the agency’s transformation into an established and recognized lake basin management institution over the past 10 years.

Strengthening its institutional capacity was a critical success factor. The project gave timely support to the Chao Lake Management Authority by improving its technical capacity, providing advanced monitoring facilities, developing a lake management information system, addressing key management issues, and connecting it to international networks.

Effective incentive mechanism. Reducing the agricultural nonpoint source pollution remains to be a challenge in the Chao Lake basin. Since household farming was the major source of livelihood for many years, the increasing labor cost and low environmental literacy of local communities hindered the transition to environmentally friendly agriculture. While an eco-compensation program can provide incentives to farmers, the absence of a cost-effective measure to quantify the pollution emission from a household’s farmland impeded the wide application of an effectiveness-based quantitative incentive mechanism. The increased land circulation for crop farming in recent years offers new opportunity for this endeavor.

Digital governance. Data accessibility and integration are often an issue in the digital governance of a lake basin. The data are usually collected and held by different line departments, such as those on environmental protection, agriculture, land resources, and water resources. The Chao Lake Management Authority successfully addressed this concern by initiating a monitoring system reform to integrate the monitoring data sets for the lake basin. This involved unifying planning, design, indicator system, inspection, software management, and data platforms while allowing different departments to install, operate, and manage the monitoring facilities separately.

[1] According to the PRC Environmental Water Quality Standard GB3838-2002, Class III water is suitable as a supply source for a municipal drinking water treatment plant and for swimming. Class IV water is suitable for use as a general industrial water supply and for recreational use involving no direct human contact with the water. Class V water is suitable only for agricultural water supply and general landscaping use. Class V+ water is unsuitable for any use.

[2] Q. F. Zhang and M. Bennett. 2011. Eco-compensation for Watershed Services in the People’s Republic of China. Manila: Asian Development Bank.

[3] See footnote 1.

References

Asian Development Bank (ADB). 2022. Completion Report: Anhui Chao Lake Environmental Rehabilitation Project in the People’s Republic of China. Manila.

ADB. People’s Republic of China: Anhui Chao Lake Environmental Rehabilitation Project.

ADB. 2016. People’s Republic of China: Saving the Great Lakes. Project Result/Case Study. 02 March.

ADB. 2015. Reviving Lakes and Wetlands in the People’s Republic of China, Volume 2. Manila.

ADB. 2012. Report and Recommendation of the President to the Board of Directors on a Proposed Loan to the People’s Republic of China for the Anhui Chao Lake Environmental Rehabilitation Project. Manila.

Author
Picture of Xin Shen

Xin Shen

Senior Project Officer (Natural Resources and Agriculture), East Asia Department, ADB

This blog is reproduced from Development Asia.

How Integrated Urban Solutions Build Inclusive, Sustainable, and Climate-Resilient Cities

Workers transport saplings for building windbreak screens. Photo credit: ADB.

An integrated approach to sustainable and inclusive development helps an oasis city in the People’s Republic of China overcome environmental challenges.

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Overview

Jiuquan was an oasis on the ancient Silk Road along the Hexi Corridor, an important trade route in the northwestern region of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Located between the southern limits of the Gobi desert and the Qilian Mountains, this city in Gansu province has faced development challenges because of its harsh natural environment. Yet, it has a thriving economy, and it is expected to play a strategic role in the socioeconomic development of the region.

A project funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) supported Jiuquan city by implementing an integrated solution to promote environmentally sustainable and inclusive development through improvements in wastewater management, urban transport and related facilities, windbreak plantation, and other services. Climate change mitigation and adaptation measures were introduced in the project design to strengthen the city’s climate resilience and reduce carbon emissions.

The project also strengthened the capacity of the municipal government for sustainable urban planning and development.

Project information

45506-002 : Gansu Jiuquan Integrated Urban Environment Improvement Project in the People’s Republic of China

Project snapshot

      • Approval date: 14 Jun 2013
      • Closing date: 18 May 2021
      • Total project cost: $202.19 million
      • Executing agency: Jiuquan Municipal Government, Gansu Province, People’s Republic of China
      • Financing: Asian Development Bank

Context

Jiuquan is located about 730 kilometers (km) northwest of the provincial capital of Lanzhou. The city’s key industries are renewable energy equipment manufacturing and agricultural product processing. Tourism has increasingly contributed to the city’s economic output based on its rich historic and cultural resources, as well as its status as the launching site of the national space program.

The city has the potential to serve as a vital artery for the relatively less-developed northwestern region of the PRC. The National Strategy for Development of the Western Region sees the city as having a key role in aiding the region’s socioeconomic development.

Challenge

Jiuquan faces various environmental problems and urban development challenges. It has a continental desert climate with constrained water resources and high evaporation. Sand and dust are carried frequently by strong winds from the desert, causing atmospheric pollution, a high incidence of respiratory illness, and productivity losses.

Beida, the river that flows through Jiuquan, has been gradually polluted by discharges of untreated wastewater from the city. Its water quality is class II for the upstream reach of Jiuquan, class III through the city area, and class IV downstream.[1]

As a water-scarce city undergoing continuous growth, Jiuquan must stem the gradual contamination of its water resources, which endangers public health and safety and constrains its sustainable development.

The increasingly congested urban roads and inadequate infrastructure also limit the city’s ability to promote greater links along the Hexi Corridor and enable socioeconomic development in the northwestern region.

Solutions

The project supported the city in addressing its challenges through an integrated approach to improving the urban environment and by involving the local community in project design and implementation.

Expand windbreak tree screens. About 60.5 hectares (ha) of windbreak tree screens were planted along the northern and southern banks of the Beida River to reduce the city’s vulnerability to desertification, enhance public amenities, and improve the living environment and public health of residents.

A windbreak plantation education trail was set up to improve public awareness where visitors can learn about the city’s exposure to desertification, the challenges that Jiuquan faces in managing its water resources and air quality, and the benefits of afforestation in protecting the environment and improving the city’s resilience to climate change impacts.

Improve wastewater management and resources reuse. A wastewater treatment plant with a capacity of 60,000 cubic meters (m3) per day and a wastewater collection network with a total length of 44.2 km were constructed. About 18,000 m3 of reclaimed water is used daily for greening and irrigation of the windbreak plantation. Reclaimed water reuse will be increased to 30,000 m3 around 2025. Sludge after dewatering with water content below 60% is disposed to a sanitary landfill. A road map for sludge reuse—such as land improvement, soil conditioner for the windbreak trees plantation, or other agricultural uses, was developed and will be implemented in the near future.

Improve urban road network and facilities. In the expanded urban area, about 15.7 km of roads and two bridges were constructed and upgraded. Associated utility facilities , such as road lighting, pipes for water supply, wastewater, heating, and gas, and conduits for electricity and telecommunication lines, were installed. In the existing central urban area, traffic management and safety systems and 0.8 km of roads were upgraded.

Develop the municipal government’s capacity in urban planning and management. The project trained officials of Jiuquan municipal government and staff of the project implementing agencies in various aspects of urban planning and management. It developed and enhanced plans and strategies in water conservation, wastewater reuse, sludge management, urban transport system, traffic management and safety, and desertification risk management. It also promoted private sector participation to improve the efficiency of municipal services.

Promote local communities’ participation in project design and implementation.

Different groups of local communities were widely consulted to improve road design. Improvements included traffic lights; pedestrian crossings to ensure road safety, especially for children and older persons; and optimization of routes, frequencies, and hours of service as well as links to school and health services before new bus services were put into place.

Representatives were invited to participate in public hearings for wastewater and water tariffs to improve transparency. Water conservation advocacy campaigns were organized annually and delivered through public broadcasts, television, newspapers, the internet, brochures, booklets, billboards, and documentaries, reaching more than 100,000 beneficiaries to improve public awareness and behavior to support saving of water resources.

Results

Improved living conditions and urban infrastructure services.

About 450,800 residents, 218,100 (48%) of them women and 11,333 from low-income households, directly benefitted from the project. They have sustainable access to an improved road network and related services, wastewater management, and landscaped windbreak plantations.

There is now a road linking the high-speed railway station and the Western Suburbs Industrial Zone, reducing travel time at peak hours between the two spots to 25 minutes from 45 minutes. Improved traffic management contributed to substantial reduction in traffic fatality rate to less than 2.5 per 10,000 vehicles from 4.5.

The project provided windbreaks for the city against sandstorms, enhanced public amenities, and improved the living environment and public health of local residents, with additional benefits of carbon sequestration, sand fixation, secured agricultural production, soil conservation, and regulation of micro-climate.

Public satisfaction with the urban environment and ecology increased to 90.5% in 2020 from 84% in 2011.

Improved environment and climate resilience of the city.

The project generated significant environmental benefits. Wastewater collection and treatment rate increased to about 99% from 66%, pollutants discharge to the Beida River was dramatically reduced, and the water quality was improved to grade I from grade III.

Climate change mitigation and adaptation measures that were considered in the project design and carried out during implementation improved the city’s climate resilience. The windbreak forest created 10,104 tons of biomass, absorbed 2,678 tons of carbon dioxide, and released 1,983 tons of oxygen each year. The mitigation measures will gradually reduce the risk of increasing desertification in the long term. The bridges and associated culverts were designed as an adaptive measure against road flooding during torrential rain or heavy flooding with a 1-in-100-year return period. The reuse of the treated wastewater for greening and irrigating the windbreak forests was also an adaptive measure to conserve water resources.

Improved institutional capacity. The Jiuquan municipal government improved its institutional capacity in urban development planning. The strategies developed under the project became part of the city’s integrated long-term development plan.

Water sector management and governance were strengthened through enhanced water conservation and reuse and establishment of private–public partnership.

Public utilities improved their capacity in project design and implementation and assets management, and incorporated the inclusive participatory consultations with various stakeholders, including residents, into their operations.

Lessons

The project designed and implemented a comprehensive capacity building component that strengthened the municipal government’s institutional capacity in forming strategies for water conservation, resources reuse, traffic management and traffic safety improvement, and desertification risk management. This enhanced the project’s sustainability.

The inclusive and participatory approach in project design promoted social inclusion and equitable access to urban services.

To address the emerging challenges posed by climate change, mitigation and adaptation measures could be considered in the project design and carried out during implementation to improve a city’s resilience to impacts.

[1] The Water Quality Standards (GB 3838-2002) of the People’s Republic of China have five classes. Class I is pristine; class II is for high-value fish production areas and spawning habitats; class III is suitable for urban water supply; class IV is suitable for irrigation and recreation; and class V is polluted and not recommended for human consumption or agricultural use.

References

Asian Development Bank (ADB). 2022. Completion Report: Gansu Jiuquan Integrated Urban Environment Improvement Project in the People’s Republic of China. Manila.

ADB. 2013. Report and Recommendation of the President to the Board of Directors: Proposed Loan People’s Republic of China: Gansu Jiuquan Integrated Urban Environment Improvement Project. Manila.

Author
Picture of Lan Wang

Lan Wang

Senior Project Officer, East Asia Department, ADB

This blog is reproduced from Development Asia.

Promoting Sustainable Urban Development

The video showcases three ADB projects that focus on urban environmental improvements in, among others, managing wastewater, sludge treatment, and lake rehabilitation. The success of the Wuhan project was later replicated in other cities in Huangshi and Huainan.

Jiangsu Yancheng Wetlands Protection Project

Managing Plastic Waste in the PRC

ADB Practitioners in the PRC
Episode 3

In this video series, project officers in ADB Resident Mission in the PRC share key successful factors, impacts, and lessons from four projects on (i) improving water quality in a city, (ii) rehabilitating a freshwater lake, (iii) modernizing agriculture production systems and improving environmental conditions of 48 counties across six provinces, and (iv) raising the quality of 13 public technical and vocational schools.

In this episode, Zhiming Niu, Senior Project Officer (Environment), shares lessons from the Yangtze River Green Ecological Corridor Comprehensive Agriculture Development Project.

ADB Practitioners in the PRC
Episode 2

In this video series, project officers in ADB Resident Mission in the PRC share key successful factors, impacts, and lessons from four projects on (i) improving water quality in a city, (ii) rehabilitating a freshwater lake, (iii) modernizing agriculture production systems and improving environmental conditions of 48 counties across six provinces, and (iv) raising the quality of 13 public technical and vocational schools.

In this episode, Xin Shen, Senior Project Officer (Natural Resources and Agriculture), shares lessons from the Anhui Chao Lake Environmental Rehabilitation Project.

ADB Practitioners in the PRC
Episode 1

In this video series, project officers in ADB Resident Mission in the PRC share key successful factors, impacts, and lessons from four projects on (i) improving water quality in a city, (ii) rehabilitating a freshwater lake, (iii) modernizing agriculture production systems and improving environmental conditions of 48 counties across six provinces, and (iv) raising the quality of 13 public technical and vocational schools.

In this episode, Baochang Zheng, Senior Project Management Officer, shares lessons from the Hubei Huangshi Urban Pollution Control and Environmental Management Project.

Mongolia: Environment Sector Fact Sheet

The Year of the Tiger: How the PRC Revives the Population of An Endangered Feline

Biodiversity supports a well-functioning ecosystem, promotes human wellbeing, and contributes to a virtuous cycle of sustainable development.

Tigers are an endangered Asian species, and almost extinct in numerous countries including the PRC. As top predators and keystone species, tigers ensure a rich and varied ecosystem. They help balance prey populations and in turn vegetation that prey populations feed on.  Without top predators such as tigers, an ecosystem is likely to change dramatically or cease to exist.

Recognizing this, the PRC government, companies, and individuals have come together to help revive the population of Siberian tiger (Figure 1), the largest of the tiger subspecies, in the northeast region of the country.

Through anti-poaching, conservation, and high-tech measures, the Siberian tigers’ population rose from nearly none at the end of the 20th century to more than 50 in 2021,  a minimum level necessary for self-sustainability.

Figure 1. Siberian Tiger.

Source: Thepaper.cn.

Reverse the Decline by Preventing Poaching

Poaching is the single-biggest threat to tigers’ survival around the world. And tigers are the most popularly traded species.  A whole tiger’s pelt can cost as much as $20,000, and a bottle of wine brewed with tigers’ bones over $30,000. One of the main poaching causes is the use of tiger parts in traditional medicine, an issue that is also affecting many other species.

The PRC has introduced various measures to address these threats. At the national level, the PRC government has introduced extensive laws and measures that not only ban poaching and illegal trade, and penalize parties involved, but also educate the public.    

At the Siberian tigers’ main habitats in Hunchun, Jillin Province, and Dongfanghong, Heilongjiang Province, rangers adopt a widely used spatial monitoring and reporting system to identify and combat poaching threats.

Rangers use dedicated devices to collect data on tiger observations, poaching signs, and other suspicious activities. The data collected are fed into the system to generate reports on poaching patterns and suggestions on patrolling routes. Through its use, sightings of poaching activities fell markedly by 97.4% from 2017 to 2021.

The private sector has also joined the anti-poaching efforts leveraging on its own unique expertise. Taobao, the country’s largest e-commerce platform, uses algorithms to identify keywords, such as, poaching tools and traps, and tiger pelt, skin, or fur, to prevent poaching and illegal trading. The algorithms are also programmed to delete any posts or accounts associated with such information. In 2019, Taobao deleted 1.35 million posts to prevent illegal wildlife trading.

Meanwhile, Alipay, one of the PRC’s leading online payment platforms, has teamed up with Hangzhou city, Zhejiang Province, east of the PRC, to create a wildlife protection mini-program that allows users to report any illegal wildlife activities. Through videos or photos uploaded by users, authorities can quickly trace any leads.

Revive the Population by Restoring the Habitat

The authorities have also taken a major step by formally designating a part of the main tiger habitat as the Siberian Tiger and Leopard National Park. The park covering 14,600 square kilometers is larger than the combined size of the famous Yosemite and Yellowstone National Parks in the US.

As a national park, it is not only the Siberian tigers and other key species that are protected, but the entire park’s ecosystem. Also any land encroachment activities, such as, mining and logging, are prohibited.

To allow tigers to roam more freely, the conservation area has been extended to the border with the Russian Federation to create an ecological corridor. Even if this meant the cancellation of a highway project and the rerouting of a high-speed railway connecting to the country.

In addition, to avoid prey depletion, the authorities have released about 100 artificially bred deer into the park. This is also done to increase the deer’s reproduction with the local herd, and to improve the general ecosystem.

All this has borne positive results. Cubs’ survival rate increased from 33% in 2017 to 50% in 2021. Other wildlife’s number also rebounded.

Monitor the Ecosystem through Innovative Technologies

Cutting-edge technologies are being used to monitor the ecosystem, evaluate the effectiveness of interventions, and generate timely data.

One key tool is artificial intelligence (AI) camera traps. Unlike standard camera traps, which take photos when any movement is detected, AI camera traps can identify whether a tiger or another animal is in the shot before a photo is taken (Figure 2).

Also with AI and big data, researchers can identify individual tigers based on their unique stripe patterns, and accurately monitor their population. Prior to AI and big data, much cost and time were spent looking for the required photos and identifying individual tigers.

Figure 2. An AI-Camera Trap.

Source: WWF- Together Possible.

In addition, previously, researchers had to regularly traverse the vast mountainous terrains to collect and replace data cards from thousands of camera traps. This work was not only treacherous but time consuming. It would take six months to collect all data.

To overcome these challenges, Huawei has built a real-time integrated ecosystem monitoring, evaluation, and management network system, the first in the world, at the park. The network not only connects the camera traps but also other climate and ecological devices including rangers’ communications.

All data are transmitted to a monitoring center, which allows real-time comprehensive monitoring of the entire park’s ecosystem. Within 18 months, the network has transmitted over 1 million images of wild animals, an impossible feat without modern technologies (Figure 3).

Figure 3. Real-Time Transmission of Wild Animals’ Images.

Source: Xinhua Net.

The year of the tiger deserves to be celebrated as a turning point of Siberian tiger protection in the PRC. What the country has achieved holds useful lessons for other developing countries facing a similar wildlife extinction crisis. Indeed, it is the courage and energy demonstrated by all stakeholders—qualities symbolized by tigers in the Chinese culture—that have contributed much to the success.

ADB recognizes the importance of biodiversity conservation and has implemented various conservation initiatives in the PRC, including the Shaanxi Qinling project (forest ecosystem), Jiangsu Yancheng project (wetland ecosystem), and the preparation of Yunnan Province’s first Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan. ADB was also a major partner and participated in the 15th UN Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in Kunming, Yunnan Province in 2021.

Authors
Picture of Hsiao Chink Tang

Hsiao Chink Tang

Senior Economist, ADB

Picture of Xiaowei Zhuang

Xiaowei Zhuang

Knowledge Analyst, RKSI, ADB

© 2026 Regional Knowledge Sharing Initiative. The views expressed on this website are those of the authors and presenters and do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), its Board of Governors, or the governments they represent. ADB does not guarantee the accuracy of the data in any documents and materials posted on this website and accepts no responsibility for any consequence of their use. By making any designation of or reference to a particular territory or geographic area, or by using the term “country” in any documents posted on this website, ADB does not intend to make any judgments as to the legal or other status of any territory or area.