| Project Detail |
The knowledge and support technical assistance (TA) will provide capacity building and policy advice for developing and implementing a climate change adaptation action plan for the Poyang Lake Watershed, mainly located in Jiangxi Province of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) through improving awareness and skills of multiple stakeholders on climate change adaptation actions in the Poyang Lake watershed.
Project Name Poyang Lake Climate Change Adaptation Action Plan
Project Number 57111-001
Country / Economy China, Peoples Republic of
Project Status Approved
Project Type / Modality of Assistance Technical Assistance
The knowledge and support technical assistance (TA) will provide capacity building and policy advice for developing and implementing a climate change adaptation action plan for the Poyang Lake Watershed, mainly located in Jiangxi Province of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) through improving awareness and skills of multiple stakeholders on climate change adaptation actions in the Poyang Lake watershed.
Project Rationale and Linkage to Country/Regional Strategy
The PRC prioritized human and nature harmonization and climate change in its policy agenda. Its Outline of the 14th Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development and Long-range Goal by 2035 set forth the requirements for adapting to climate change. With Asian Development Bank (ADB) support, the PRC developed and issued the PRCs National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy 2035 (NCAS 2035) in 2022, following an ecosystem approach focusing on water resources management and nature-based solutions (NbS), and the Yangtze River Protection Law. In 2021-2023, the PRC also issued a Wetland Protection Law and National Wetland Protection Plan (2022-2030). These mechanisms provide a basic policy framework for the climate change adaptation plan of Poyang Lake to integrate wetland ecosystem protection.
Natural ecosystems can support climate mitigation and adaptation, yet also suffer from climate change impacts. Climate change is one of the most prevalent threats to ecosystems, impacting the services they provide, and affecting biodiversity and species interactions. By shifting the function or pattern of ecosystems, climate change impacts can lead to the degradation of ecosystem services, jeopardizing the value of ecosystems for peoples well-being. Conversely, well-managed ecosystems can provide effective and feasible solutions to the increasing climate threat through NbS. These linkages are referred to as the climate-nature nexus. Climate change and nature loss intersect across physical risks, adaptation opportunities, transition risks, and transition opportunities. The climate-nature nexus approach could address challenges ahead and create multiple benefits.
Poyang Lake is the largest freshwater lake in the PRC. Its watershed covers 162,225 km2, accounting for about 97% of the land area of Jiangxi Province. The lake is one of the most important sites in the world for migratory waterbirds and supports 99% of the global population of Siberian Crane and 80% of Oriental White Storks and is a Ramsar site (wetland of international importance). The lake also provides critical ecosystem services for people, including water supply, flood control, and food security.
The Poyang Lake ecological system has been degrading due to human activities, especially water extraction and diversion in the Yangtze River, and climate change resulting in more severe floods and drought. In 2022, a drought caused the water level to drop to 7.1 meters (compared with an average lake depth of 12.915.2 meters during 1956-2000), impacting fish populations and fisheries, access to drinking water, shipping, and habitats. Climate change projections indicate that average annual precipitation will continue to decrease. The frequency of severe floods is also increasing and causing economic damage and loss. Adapting to climate change requires adaptation planning including risk awareness, designing NbS, and integrated nature-climate nexus planning, e.g., for dam operations and pollution. Sustainable management of water resources will be the most important measure to strengthen resilience to current and projected climate change at Poyang Lake. Adaptation planning for Poyang Lake will complement a climate change adaptation action plan for Jiangxi Province under preparation by the provincial government according to the NCAS 2035.
Strategic fit. The TA is aligned with ADBs Country Partnership Strategy 2021-2025 for the PRC and ADBs climate finance ambition to invest $100 billion by 2030 including $34 billion on climate change adaptation. It will contribute to ADB support for natural resources management in the Yangtze River basin. The TA will complement a parallel TA under preparation for the Regional Flyway Initiative (RFI), which will include the preparation of pilot climate change adaptation plans linked with waterbird conservation for sites in northeastern PRC.
The RFI is a flagship program established in 2021 by ADB with partners to help conserve migratory waterbirds and wetlands in the East Asian-Australian Flyway. Poyang Lake is the highest-ranked site of 147 wetland sites identified in Asia and the Pacific under the RFI for migratory waterbird conservation.
Lessons. The project will build on experience from previous ADB lending and nonlending projects in the Yangtze River basin and rural vitalization and on NCAS 2035 and draw lessons to (i) promote climate change and nature nexus for multi-benefits working among agencies; (ii) involve multiple stakeholders and improve their skills on developing climate change adaptation measures; and (iii) develop practical policies on adapting climate change following an ecosystem approach.
Impact
Climate resilience of Poyang Lake in the Yangtze River Basin improved. |
