Reviving Lakes and Wetlands Lessons Learned from the People’s Republic of China Reviving Lakes and Wetlands Lessons Learned from the People’s Republic of China Qingfeng Zhang, Yoshiaki Kobayashi, Takafumi Kadono with Robert Crooks, Zhong Ma © 2008 Asian Development Bank All rights reserved. Published 2008. Printed in the Philippines. Cataloging-In-Publication Data Publication Stock No. BBK 129208 ISBN 978-971-561-699-7 Cataloging-In-Publication Data Asian Development Bank. Reviving lakes and wetlands: lessons learned from the People’s Republic of China. Mandaluyong City, Philippines: Asian Development Bank, 2008. 1. Lakes. 2. Wetlands. 3. People’s Republic of China. I. Asian Development Bank. The views expressed in this book are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) or its Board of Governors or the governments they represent. 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Users are restricted from reselling, redistributing, or creating derivative works for commercial purposes without the express, written consent of ADB. 6 ADB Avenue, Mandaluyong City 1550 Metro Manila, Philippines Tel +63 2 632 4444 Fax +63 2 636 4444 www.adb.org For orders, please contact: Department of External Relations Fax +63 2 636 2648 [email protected] APPENDIXES 36 A Promising Example 54 Early and Projected Contents of Lake Rehabilitation: Setbacks of Baiyangdian West Lake, Hangzhou Lake Restoration City 62 Integrated Management Foreword 4 Comparison with Other 46 Lessons Learned from Needed for Sanjiang Projects Lake Rehabilitation: Plain Rehabilitation Tai Lake Restoration 68 Summary of Discussions: Acknowledgments 17 Introduction Consultation Workshop 18 Tai Lake on the Knowledge Executive Summary 21 Baiyangdian Lake Product 24 Sanjiang Plain 1 Introduction 5 Discussion and Conclusion 2 Background on Issues 3 A Promising Case of Lake Rehabilitation: West Lake 9 Background 11 Some Key Features of Planning and Implementation 15 Conclusion: Four Success Factors Foreword quatic ecosystems in the land restoration in the PRC and pro- Project and the Baiyangdian Lake This publication will convey the People’s Republic of China vides lessons learned. A recent Asian Project.2 lessons of reviving lakes and wetlands (PRC) are being destroyed Development Bank (ADB)-financed The lessons learned highlight in the PRC. It will contribute to a bet- by the combined effects of comprehensive review of the high- the need to recognize the connected ter understanding of the processes depletion, pollution, and profile restoration program of Tai Lake nature of all activities within a particu- behind aquatic ecosystem deteriora- Aengineering developments. Lakes and prompted this study.1 It was also, in lar catchment, and clearly demonstrate tion and the restoration approaches to wetlands are especially at risk because part, a result of the inspections of one that the problem is ecological rather be taken so that integrated planning of their relatively lower ability to absorb reasonably successful lake restoration than an engineering one. Each case of water and land resources are rein- sudden change. program—the West Lake Restoration has its unique combination of fac- forced, and the coordination among Over the last 15 years, the PRC Program in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Prov- tors, but the analysis highlights four stakeholders are strengthened. The Government has invested substan- ince. These two cases are compared key elements for success: strong and publication should prove useful to tially in restoring lakes and wetlands, with ADB’s ongoing Sanjiang Plain consistent political leadership, inte- all those concerned with reviving the but the efforts have not been as suc- grated planning and analysis, effec- aquatic ecosystem in the PRC and in cessful as planned. In fact, restoration tive management structures, and other countries. 1 Asian Development Bank (ADB). 2004. programs of lakes and wetlands have Technical Assistance to People’s Republic financial engineering. been especially problematic. of China (PRC) for Evaluation of Environ­ mental Policy and Investment for the This publication assesses some Water Pollution Control in the Huai River 2 The project was approved by the Board of recent experiences with lake and wet- and Tai Lake Basins. Manila. Directors of ADB on 24 June 2008. Klaus Gerhaeusser Director General East Asia Department iv Acknowledgments his knowledge product By analyzing various lake and earlier draft and participated in the dinating the counterpart team from highlights general lessons wetland recovery efforts in the PRC, consultation meetings. the PRC Government and closely from recent experience with this paper confirms that lakes and Kunhamboo Kannan provided the working with the team. restoring lakes and wetlands wetlands deteriorate for many com- inspiration and support for this activ- The report also benefited from the in the People’s Republic of plex and interrelated reasons and that ity. Several reviewers in ADB offered multistakeholder consultative work- TChina (PRC). Its creation was prompted a rehabilitation strategy, to be success- valuable comments at different stages shop conducted to gain feedback on by an urgent problem with algal bloom ful, needs to address all elements of the during the preparation of the report, the final draft, held on 23 June 2008 in Tai Lake in June 2007, which moved problem within the framework of the including Wouter Lincklaen Arriens, in Harbin, Heilongjiang province. the Government to seek advice on how integrated ecosystem. This successful KyeongAe Choe, Akmal Siddiq, Sergei About 90 participants from multilater- to address the situation. A simultaneous approach takes into account not only Popov, and Zhiming Niu. al and bilateral development partners, review of Asian Development Bank water resources but also the land as The report benefited from the government organizations, univer- (ADB)-assisted projects in the Sanjiang well, and it takes a greater effort to close cooperation with the Ministry of sities, and international nongovern- Plain wetland and Baiyangdian Lake, and strengthen coordination both bet- Environmental Protection (then State ment organizations attended and inspection of the West Lake restoration ween sectors and jurisdictions. Environmental Protection Adminis- gave valuable feedback. program in Zhejiang Province—one of Qingfeng Zhang (Task Manager), tration), Ministry of Water Resources, Melissa Alipalo, Ellen Pascua, the few lake restoration programs that Yoshiaki Kobayashi, and Takafumi Chinese Academy of Environmental Ma. Christina Dueñas, Ma. Priscila can reasonably claim to have had some Kadono developed this product Science, and Zhejiang Environmental del Rosario, Josephine Lucero, and success—yielded insights that can prove through initiating the concept, final- Protection Bureau. The ADB team is Rosario Soriano helped edit, design, crucial as the PRC’s rapid economic izing the report, and consulting with particularly grateful to Xiaozhi Song, and produce this report. development and urban sprawl continue the stakeholders. Consultants Robert Wang Xin, Xie Yongming, Li Ge, Li to endanger lakes and wetlands. Crooks and Zhong Ma prepared the Yuanyuan, and Zhang Cheng for coor- v Currency Equivalents Abbreviations (as of 15 October 2008) ADB — Asian Development Bank Currency Unit – yuan (CNY) BOD — biological oxygen demand CNY1.00 = $0.146 COD — chemical oxygen demand $1.00 = CNY6.83 EPA — Environmental Protection Agency FYP — five-year plan GDP — gross domestic product GEF — Global Environment Facility IRBM — integrated river basin management MOC — Ministry of Construction NH3-N — ammonia nitrogen NPS — nonpoint pollution source Weights and Measures PRC — People’s Republic of China SARS — severe acute respiratory syndrome TN — total nitrogen cm — centimeter TP — total phosphorus ha — hectare UNEP — United Nations Environment Programme km — kilometer US — United States km2 — square kilometer WWTP — wastewater treatment plant m — meter m2 — square meter m3 — cubic meter mg/l — milligrams per liter 1 mu — 0.067 ha NOTE In this report, “$” refers to US dollars. vi Executive Summary akes and wetlands in the ing lakes and wetlands in the PRC and able water resources, they are likely People’s Republic of China identifies general lessons. Its prepa- to affect economic development sig- (PRC), particularly in eastern ration was prompted partly by the nificantly and adversely in the coming This approach considers parts of the country, are in a recent completion of a comprehen- years. The Government has long been both land and water very poor condition. The Gov- sive review of one of the country’s aware of these growing problems. resources and the Lernment is aware of the problem and has highest profile lake restoration pro- Over the last 10–15 years, it has sub- underwritten and/or encouraged lake grams—the Tai Lake program, which stantially invested in and taken efforts need to strengthen and wetland restoration programs over was evaluated as part of an ADB- to reverse these problems in particular coordination between the last 20 years or more. For the most financed technical