ADB approves 200 mln USD in loans for river basin protection in east China

BEIJING, Aug. 29 (Xinhua) -- The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved 200 million U.S. dollars worth of loans to help boost environmental management and mitigate ecological and environmental risks in the basin of the Mulan River in east China's Fujian Province.

The Mulan River is a main river in Fujian, with a total length of 105 km and a drainage area of 1,732 square km.

The project will support county-level integrated environmental management and climate change adaptation action plans, as well as associated capacity building and public awareness improvement, according to the ADB's office in China.

The project will establish a smart environmental management digital platform that integrates the management of water resources, disaster risks, wastewater, drainage, solid waste and forests.

The project will help improve the infrastructure in Xianyou County, which sits in upstream area of the Mulan River, through investments in catchment protection, forest conservation, water supply, solid waste management facilities, and urban water environment and flood risk management.

The total project cost is 577.35 million dollars, with 377.35 million dollars in counterpart financing from the Chinese government and beneficiaries.

The project is expected to be completed in 2028.