China

Cities contribute an estimated 70 percent of the world's energy-related greenhouse gases (GHG). Their locations, often in low-elevation coastal zones, and large populations... Show More + make them particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. But cities often take steps, even ahead of national governments, to reduce GHG emissions. So it is with China's cities, which are well placed to chart a low-carbon growth path to help reach China's national targets for reducing the energy and carbon intensity of its economy. China's cities will need to act on multiple fronts, in some cases scaling up elements of existing good practice, in others changing established ways of doing business. Actions affecting land-use and spatial development are among the most critical to achieving low-carbon growth as carbon emissions are closely connected to urban form. Spatial development also has very strong 'lock-in' effects: once cities grow and define their urban form, it is almost impossible to retrofit them because the built environment is largely irreversible and very costly to modify. Furthermore, cities need energy-efficient buildings and industries. They need a transport system that offers alternatives to automobiles. They need to shift to efficient management of water, wastewater, and solid waste. And they need to incorporate responses to climate change in their planning, investment decisions, and emergency-preparedness plans. Show Less -

Being located at the central area of Southwest of China, Zhaotong Municipality is the "Dragon tail" of so call "the Changjiang Economic Belt". It is the important corridor... Show More + for Yunnan to access to the other provinces and ocean and the "north gateway for Yunnan to open to inland of China. Zhaotong Municipality will enjoys a great prosperity: by 2020, it will be developed into "three Bases and one Barrier", namely, the important energy base, the heavy chemistry industrial base, and the agricultural produce processing base with special local characterizes, and ecological barrier of upstream of the Yangtze River. By that time, Zhaotong will become the important frontier city for hydro-power development of the Yangtze River, the services base at the middle route of China for "power transmission from west to east". As a component of Second Phase of the Yunnan Urban Environment Project (YUEP) of the additional financing of the World Bank (WB), Zhaotong (Central) Urban Environment Project (ZTUEP) comprises following four sub-projects: 1) water supply sub-project: including a raw water transmission pipeline from Yudong Reservoir, a new Water Supply Plant (WSP) and its water distribution network serving for south, east and west parts of the north urban area; a WSP using spring water already delivered by an exiting raw water transmission pipeline from Dalongdong and its water distribution network serving for north end of the north urban area; and 2) wastewater sub-project: including the sewer network in the new urban area in the north part and a Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) to be extended at the existing WWTP site serving for both the old urban area and new urban area. Show Less -

This report is the executive summary of the Environmental Assessment (EA hereafter) for the Guizhou Cultural and Natural Heritage Development and Management Project... Show More + (Project hereafter), partly funded by the World Bank. This document provides a general summary of the findings in the project Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Environmental Management Plan (EMP), including a description of the project components, legal and policy framework and applicable environmental standards, natural and cultural heritage, environmental baselines, impact and mitigation, heritage conservation plan, analysis of alternatives, public consultation and closure, and environmental management plan. The project development objectives are to achieve: (a) a higher level of livelihood productivity among residents of participating historical and cultural villages/districts in Guizhou Province; and (b) a high level of satisfaction among cultural and eco-tourists visiting participating sites. These objectives are to be achieved while effectively protecting the cultural and natural assets. This will require undertaking prioritized and sustainable investments in infrastructure, initiatives to enhance the income of the ethnic minority population, and a set of tourism industry interventions which pay special attention to the natural and cultural heritage of Guizhou, as well as capacity building in the tourism and protection sectors. Show Less -

The Shanghai Urban Environment Project (SHUEP) for China is to provide a sustainable environmental setting for the long-term economic and social development in the Municipality... Show More + of Shanghai while supporting the provision of urban infrastructure. The SHUEP which was approved by the World Bank in June 2003 aimed to support Shanghai Municipal Government (SMG) to: 1) implement the urban environment goal of its development strategy and thereby help to ensure that economic growth takes place in an environmentally and institutionally sustainable manner; 2) provide major long-term environmental benefits to its millions of citizens and to the ecology of Shanghai Municipality; and 3) develop innovative policies, institutional reforms and financing methods that are needed to support the environmental goals and that will serve as models for local government and environmental reform throughout China. Recognizing that to achieve the desired development goals may require many years to resolve and cannot be addressed by a conventional (or typical) investment operation, the SHUEP has been devised as an Adaptable Program Loan (APL) consisting of a series of loans over a seven to ten year period, divided into three phases. A key requirement of the APL is that there is a clear and feasible development program in place to guide implementation of the projects and to provide clear milestones and benchmarks for policy and institutional reform. Show Less -

Road traffic injuries are a major but neglected global public health problem. Worldwide, the number of people killed in road traffic accidents each year is estimated... Show More + at almost 1.2 million, while the number injured could be as high as 50 million. Without increased efforts and new initiatives, the total number of road traffic injuries and fatalities worldwide is forecast to rise by 65 percent between 2000 and 2020, while in low and middle-income countries, road traffic fatalities are expected to increase by as much as 80 percent over the same period. In 2002, road traffic injuries were the ninth leading cause of years lost worldwide, equal to 2.6 percent of the global burden of disease. On current trends, by 2020, road traffic injuries are likely to be the third leading cause of years lost. Part one of this reports presents the achievements of the Chinese Government in the last five years and the challenges it faces. Part two reviews the World Bank's experience with road safety in China over the last 20 years and summarizes the legacy of its efforts and the lessons learned. Finally, part three discusses recommendations on the way ahead for World Bank's road safety initiatives in China. Show Less -

In June 2006, the Guizhou Tourism Administration's Guizhou Provincial Rural Tourism Development Plan was approved by the National Tourism Administration of The People's... Show More + Republic of China (CNTA). This plan provides official strategic guidance for the development of the rural tourism sector and identifies around 160 villages for development. The proposals for Bank finance are primarily located within rural villages. Based on an assessment of their tourism appeal and location, 60 of the 160 sites identified in the Guizhou Provincial Rural Tourism Development Plan have been prioritized for development over the next five years under the loan being sought from the World Bank. The proposal provides a conceptual development plan for 60 sites, including development and financial models, products to be marketed, and involvement of a range of stakeholders including private investors, NGOs and rural tourism associations. The consultants are encouraged by the proposals that provide for participation of local communities, however these proposals will need to be integrated with the infrastructure development plans in the next steps of project preparation. Show Less -

Based on a number of background studies on the urban transport problems facing China's large cities, this report summarizes the diagnostic analyses of these problems... Show More + with a focus on the associated institutional issues, and recommends policy directions and short- to medium-term institutional development actions for sustainable urban transport. In particular, it examines the changing nature of urban transport problems in a broad context of urbanization and fiscal decentralization, and calls for the national government to re-define and strengthen its role in dealing with the spillover effects of urban transport problems. The report is intended to contribute to the current debate on urban transport issues and to serve as a technical input to the government policy making process, especially at the national level. Show Less -

The acute water shortage, and pollution problems in North China have been exacerbated by the continued population growth, and the accelerated industrial expansion over... Show More + the past half-century, conducive to increasingly severe freshwater shortages, and catastrophic consequences for the future. Significant commitments need to be made to rapidly implement strategies to bring water resource utilization back into a sustainable balance. The report reviews past and present situations, focusing on the future impacts of various social, and economic growth scenarios within the context of water management, where preconditions for its success are the combined requirements of complementary pricing, management, and regulatory reforms in water resources (including groundwater, water pollution, and wastewater reuse). Findings suggest a water demand management as proposed in the action plan - with further water price increases, and improving irrigation efficiency. Agricultural productivity depends on irrigation efficiency, thus water management calls for water-savings measures, low-yield land improvement, and, large-scale systems rehabilitation. Structural water pollution remedy measures, should focus on industrial wastewater pretreatment, and internal reuse of processed water, pollution prevention programs, and combined industrial, and municipal treatment plants, to include as well artificial groundwater recharge (wastewaters and floodwaters). Institutional aspects will require further strengthening, regarding water resource allocation, protection, and financing. Show Less -

The acute water shortage, and pollution problems in North China have been exacerbated by the continued population growth, and the accelerated industrial expansion over... Show More + the past half-century, conducive to increasingly severe freshwater shortages, and catastrophic consequences for the future. Significant commitments need to be made to rapidly implement strategies to bring water resource utilization back into a sustainable balance. The report reviews past and present situations, focusing on the future impacts of various social, and economic growth scenarios within the context of water management, where preconditions for its success are the combined requirements of complementary pricing, management, and regulatory reforms in water resources (including groundwater, water pollution, and wastewater reuse). Findings suggest a water demand management as proposed in the action plan - with further water price increases, and improving irrigation efficiency. Agricultural productivity depends on irrigation efficiency, thus water management calls for water-savings measures, low-yield land improvement, and, large-scale systems rehabilitation. Structural water pollution remedy measures, should focus on industrial wastewater pretreatment, and internal reuse of processed water, pollution prevention programs, and combined industrial, and municipal treatment plants, to include as well artificial groundwater recharge (wastewaters and floodwaters). Institutional aspects will require further strengthening, regarding water resource allocation, protection, and financing. Show Less -

The acute water shortage, and pollution problems in North China have been exacerbated by the continued population growth, and the accelerated industrial expansion over... Show More + the past half-century, conducive to increasingly severe freshwater shortages, and catastrophic consequences for the future. Significant commitments need to be made to rapidly implement strategies to bring water resource utilization back into a sustainable balance. The report reviews past and present situations, focusing on the future impacts of various social, and economic growth scenarios within the context of water management, where preconditions for its success are the combined requirements of complementary pricing, management, and regulatory reforms in water resources (including groundwater, water pollution, and wastewater reuse). Findings suggest a water demand management as proposed in the action plan - with further water price increases, and improving irrigation efficiency. Agricultural productivity depends on irrigation efficiency, thus water management calls for water-savings measures, low-yield land improvement, and, large-scale systems rehabilitation. Structural water pollution remedy measures, should focus on industrial wastewater pretreatment, and internal reuse of processed water, pollution prevention programs, and combined industrial, and municipal treatment plants, to include as well artificial groundwater recharge (wastewaters and floodwaters). Institutional aspects will require further strengthening, regarding water resource allocation, protection, and financing. Show Less -