Bank brings life back to key lake

Source: Xinhua  |   2008-6-26  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

THE Asian Development Bank is helping China address and reverse decades of ecological degradation to one of the nation's most valuable fresh-water resources, the lender said yesterday.

Called the "Kidney of North China," the Baiyangdian Lake and the ecosystem it supports are at constant risk from falling water levels, soil erosion and waste water runoff, the multilateral development bank said.

To help counter the environmental damage, ADB is providing a loan of US$100 million for the US$273 million-dollar Integrated Ecosystem and Water Resources Management in the Baiyangdian Basin Project. The project will focus on the critical needs to conserve Baiyangdian Lake, one of the most important and vulnerable ecosystems in China, ADB added.

"The project will demonstrate an innovative integrated ecosystem and water resources management approach to improve the environmental condition in the Baiyangdian Basin," said Akmal Siddiq, Natural Resources Economist of ADB's East Asia Department.

Located in the central part of Hebei Province, Baiyangdian Lake has a total area of 366 square kilometers. It is home to 36 lake villages and 62 lakeside villages with a population of 200,000 people. It is the largest fresh water lake and wetland in north China, and plays an important role in balancing the ecosystem there.

Reeds grown in the area are used to produce about 7 million tons of reed mats a year, 40 percent of the national total. Lotus and water chestnuts are also grown there, and the lake is home to more than 50 types of fish. It is also an important resting point for migratory birds on the East Asian-Australasian flyway.