Progress report for
The Yellow River Ecological Corridor Program
Achievement at a glance
OverviewThe Yellow River Ecological Corridor (YREC) Program, initiated by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), focuses on promoting sustainable management and development in the Yellow River Basin in the People's Republic of China (PRC).
The Yellow River Basin, vital to the PRC, faces mounting environmental challenges. These include water scarcity, pollution, natural disasters exacerbated by climate change, and overexploitation of resources. The YREC addresses these issues through strategic institutional reforms, innovative technologies, and knowledge-sharing partnerships. The program also an ecosystem-based, or ‘nature-positive’ approach, treating the entire river basin as a connected ecological corridor to mitigate disaster risks, enhance food security, and foster sustainable development
The program involves various PRC government agencies, including the Yellow River Conservancy Commission, Ministry of Ecology and Environment, and the National Development and Reform Commission, among others. These agencies, along with private sectors and NGOs, work collaboratively to address ecological and development challenges, in particular SDG 6, 11, 12, 13, and 15.
Three key pillars
• Institutional Strengthening: Enhance the capacity of institutions involved in managing the Yellow River Basin for improved policies, governance, and resource management.
• Innovative Approaches and Private Sector Solutions: Promote innovative approaches, nature-based solutions, and private sector engagement to address the basin's complex challenges.
• Knowledge Sharing: Facilitate the exchange of best practices, lessons learned, and collaborative initiatives within the basin and beyond, supporting continuous improvement.
Four Thematic Areas
• Water and Natural Capital: Protect water resources, restore ecosystems, and optimize natural capital management.
• Sustainable and Efficient Agriculture and Value Chains: Promote climate-resilient farming systems, enhance agricultural efficiency, and develop sustainable value chains.
• Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation: Reduce vulnerability to climate change impacts, lessen carbon emissions, and promote strategies for both adaptation and mitigation.
• Integrated Urban-Rural Green Development and Circular Economy: Foster environmentally sound development in urban settlements and rural communities, emphasizing circular economic models
Achievements and Current Status
The YREC continues involving multiple PRC government agencies, academic institutions, and the private sector to scale successful initiatives, inform policy, foster collaboration, and become a knowledge hub for sustainable river basin management. It presently includes a TA component with a total of $ 4.8 million across 15 subprojects and six loans funding large scale projects (total volume $1.1 billion between 2022-24).
Next Steps
Fatima Mabor BautistaBeneficiaries
ADB member countries
Actions
Detailed achievements and actions in reference to the achievement at a glanceYREC loans
• Silk Road Ecological Protection and Rehabilitation Project; $200 million ADB; $335 million total
• Gansu Environmentally Sustainable Rural Vitalization and Development Project; $150 million ADB; $300 million total
• Green Farmland Demonstration and High-Quality Agricultural Development Program in Yellow River Basin; $200 million ADB; $435 million total
• Shanxi Changzhi Low-Carbon Climate-Resilient Circular Economy Transformation Project; $300 million ADB; $500 million total
• Shanxi Low-carbon and Inclusive Rural Development Project; $160 million ADB; $602 million total
• Shandong Qixia Ecological Conservation Demonstration Project; $150 million ADB; $300 total
Technical Assistance (TA)
YREC encompasses several technical assistance (TA) projects that target different aspects of river basin management, such as water use, legislative mechanisms, ecological valuation, and climate resilience. The program supports high-quality, green development opportunities and has contributed to various projects, including strategic research on promoting ecological protection, and eco-compensation. One of the TA projects was just concluded. 
• Funding and Complimentary Investments: The program is financed by the Technical Assistance Special Fund (TASF) and the Climate Change Fund. To accommodate new projects, a request has been made to increase the TASF funding in this program. The YREC also complements other recent ADB investment projects within the Yellow River Basin.
• Legal and Policy Support: ADB’s work within the YREC supported the development of the Yellow River Protection Law, a landmark piece of legislation for ecological protection in the basin. ADB also played a role in developing the Yellow River Basin's climate adaptation plan, the first of its kind in the PRC, aligning with the National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy (NCAS).
• Knowledge Sharing and Capacity Building: Facilitated a Yellow River Ecological Corridor seminar series to promote policy dialogue, knowledge exchange, and South-South cooperation and published two policy briefs on Biodiversity Conservation and Water Security in the Yellow River Basin
Other knowledge products:
Achieving Water Security in the Yellow River Basin | Asian Development Bank (adb.org)