United Nations, The Yellow River Ecological Corridor Program, Voluntary Commitment (March 2023)

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is supporting the People's Republic of China (PRC) Government to strengthen the sustainable management of natural capital in the PRC’s second largest river basin. The Yellow River Ecological Corridor (YREC) Program was established in 2020 adopting an innovative ecosystem management approach for water resources management by considering a river basin as an ecological corridor. The program is being implemented with support from the following PRC Government agencies involved with resource management and economic development of the Yellow River Basin: (i) the Yellow River Conservancy Commission; (ii) Ministry of Ecology and Environment; (iii) Foreign Economic Cooperation Center, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs; (iv) Ministry of Water Resources; National Development and Reform Commission; (v) National Forest and Grassland Administration; (vi) Nine provinces in the Yellow River basins;(vii) Chinese Academy of Science and other academic institutes; and (viii) private sectors and NGOs. Balancing economic growth and sustainable development in the Yellow River basin is a challenging task. This is underscored by the increasing frequency of natural calamities such as the July 2021 floods that displaced more than 1 million people in Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan Province. Exacerbated by climate change, such water-related disasters will likely continue threatening livelihoods in the basin over the coming decades. Overexploitation of natural resources, inadequate water supply and sanitation services, soil contamination, water pollution, and climate change impacts are only some of the risks affecting the basin’s health and its most vulnerable rural communities. A nature-positive approach can help address both biodiversity and climate emergencies. The preservation of nature has emerged as a critical pathway for transitioning to growing the economy in a more resilient and sustainable way. This means ensuring that nature is an integral component of investment and fiscal and socio-economic policy decisions. Such an approach must include actionable targets that recognize the centrality of nature to maintain and restore ecosystem services and biodiversity and increase the resilience of catchment communities. Against this background, the YREC builds on three key principles: (i) protect the basin’s fragile ecological environment, (ii) address the severe condition of the water resources (balancing use and preservation), and (iii) promote high-quality green development and sustainable livelihoods. The YREC includes a program of lending, non-lending and policy interventions across four main thematic areas, such as: (i) natural resources management and biodiversity conservation, (ii) climate-resilient smart agriculture, (iii) climate change mitigation and adaptation, and (iv) integrated urban-rural green development.