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GEF Ningbo Cixi Wetland Project

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Background and Objectives of the GEF Wetland Project

East Asia ’s rapid economic growth has been accompanied by significant environmental degradation. Land-based pollution of the region’s coasts, estuaries and rivers is one of its most severe environmental problems and is degrading the region’s large marine ecosystems. To help littoral states address this problem, the GEF and World Bank have agreed to establish a Partnership Investment Fund for Pollution Reduction in the Large Marine Ecosystems of East Asia (the Fund). The objective of the Fund is to reduce land-based pollution discharges that have an impact on the seas of East Asia by leveraging investments in pollution reduction through the removal of technical, institutional, and financial barriers. In particular, the Fund will finance activities related to World Bank pollution reduction investment projects that are in innovative and can be replicated in other areas.

     The GEF project is an integral part of the World Bank loan project (i.e. NWEP started in early 2005) and the first project to be financed under the Partnership Investment Fund for Pollution Reduction in the Large Marine Ecosystems of East Asia. Cixi city government will receive a grant of US$ 5 million from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), through the World Bank for a wetland conservation project. The GEF project will finance two components: i) The constructed wetlands associated with Cixi North secondary wastewater treatment plants (WWTP); ii) Development of a wetland center, including: enhancement and restoration of degraded wetland and tidal mudflats and an environmental education center, covering an area of approximately 43.5 km 2 in the west of Hangzhou Bay Sea-Crossing Bridge.

The implementation of the project will be of international importance, making Cixi an internationally recognized city, improving its investment environment and increasing public awareness of environment protection and its associated strong economic benefits.

 

Objectives of Wetland Center

1. The significance of the center will include:
I) increasing and sharing knowledge of wetlands conservation among the public;
II) continuous repopulation of Cixi’s over-exploited coastal fish and shellfish resources;
III) demonstrating and encouraging replication of innovative and best practice options to overcome the barriers to reducing land-based contamination of internal and international water bodies;
IV) extending the fame of the city in the world as a result of the proposed world-class project, improving the investment environment and promoting development of tourism.

2. The objectives of the project will be to:
    1.Develop the wetland as a high quality habitat for international migratory birds;
    2.Develop the Wetland Center as the base for reducing land-based contamination ofinternal and international water bodies, for wetland conservation and research, bird watching and environmental education;
    3. Develop proper financial mechanisms for sustainable operation of the Center;
    4.Generate efficient management and monitoring of the Environmental Education Center and the natural wetlands.