Hunan Miluo River Disaster Risk Management and Comprehensive Environment Improvement Project The project aims to demonstrate rural vitalization and environmental improvement in Pingjiang County, and contribute to the People Republic of China's (PRC) development goals of inclusive and sustainable growth consistent with (i) the PRC's Thirteenth Five-Year Plan, 2016-2020, which aims to eradicate extreme poverty and balance development of rural and urban areas; (ii) the Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB) development plan, 2016-2030 and the rural vitalization strategy, which promotes poverty reduction, rural development, and green and inclusive growth; and (iii) the Asian Development Bank's (ADB) Strategy 2030, and country partnership strategy for the PRC, 2016-2020; and 2021-2025, which both support the development of global and regional public goods and more inclusive development by managing climate change and the environment; building climate and disaster resilience, reducing poverty and inequalities; promoting rural development, improving institutional coordination and governance reform, and knowledge sharing with other developing member countries.  This project is also a demonstration of support for the PRC's intended nationally determined contributions, e.g., increasing carbon sinks via wetland restoration, enhancing overall climate resilience.

The project will be aligned with the following impact: rural vitalization in the YREB realized. The outputs listed below will result in the following outcome: rural living environment in Pingjiang County improved.

Output 1: Water-related disaster risk management in Pingjiang County improved. This output includes measures to mitigate impacts of severe flooding and occurrence of landslides and natural hazards in Pingjiang County, including (i) construction of flood embankments and nature-based measures such as ecological wetlands and conservation parks and improvement of degraded areas to maintain bank stability, protect biodiversity, and regulate flooding events; and (ii) establishment of conservation forests and riparian vegetation zones to control water and soil loss and nonpoint source pollution in the Miluo River. These activities will generate employment opportunities for residents, including women.

Output 2: Rural waste and sanitation management in Pingjiang County improved. This output will address environmental degradation through improvements in environmental infrastructure. The output includes improvement of access to and upgrade of solid waste management services and wastewater treatment facilities across 214 township schools, 33 township hospitals, and rural residents through improved county-wide inclusive sanitation which considers the most appropriate and innovative technology and service delivery method, including public-private partnerships. 

Output 3: Integrated water resources management planning and decision support capacity enhanced. This output will strengthen the PCG's institutional coordination capacity for environmental and disaster risk management. The output will enhance integrated water resources management planning and decision support capacity across local government agencies through the development of a decision support system. Environmental management information systems will be incorporated in the decision support system to improve institutional coordination for integrated water resources and disaster risk management, asset management, and monitoring and evaluation mechanisms for forests and wetland conservation areas, river water quality and environmental flows (including water supply to downstream areas), and flood early warning. 

Output 4: Green procurement and ecological farming practices piloted. This output involves piloting of (i) green procurement programs in schools, hospitals, and tourism operators to support the development of green supply chains that will reduce environmentally damaging wastes, such as plastic wastes; and encourage recycling and reuse initiatives; (ii) community-based solid waste management training and awareness-raising programs in schools, hospitals, and tourism operators to support green consumption and circular economy principles; and (iii) demonstration farms to be established to showcase sustainable ecological farming best practices, such as adoption of organic fertilizers, integrated pest management, and improved farm waste management, to reduce nonpoint source pollution. Pathways for organic certification of local agribusinesses to support green industries will also be explored in conjunction with identification of downstream markets. Some jobs for residents, including women, will be created during the construction of relevant facilities. 
 
Innovative features will be included in the project design, covering (i) county-wide inclusive sanitation and solid waste collection facilities using best practices with consideration of public-private partnership delivery, if appropriate; (ii) nature-based measures such as wetland parks and conservation forests to improve water quality and manage flood risks; and (iii) county-wide integrated water resources and disaster risk management. The experiences and knowledge gained through this project will be deployed in other poor rural areas in the PRC.

The project design will incorporate lessons from international best practices and build on previous ADB-financed projects supporting rural vitalization, such as importance of (i) climate-smart agricultural and ecological farming practices; (ii) decentralized sanitation systems for rural villages; (iii) nature-based solutions to address flooding and other risks from natural hazards; (iv) development, participation, and empowerment of rural communities and rural enterprises; (v)  effective institutional coordination and governance arrangements, including the river chief system; (vi) sustainable operation and maintenance; and (vii) monitoring and evaluation systems.