ADB Approves Loan to China for Acid Rain Control

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, December 19, 2001

ADB Approves Loan to China for Acid Rain Control

The Asian Development Bank Wednesday approved a 147 million U.S. dollars loan to the People's Republic of China for an acid rain control project in Anhui Province in the central part of the country.

The Asian Development Bank Wednesday approved a 147 million U.S. dollars loan to the People's Republic of China for an acid rain control project in Anhui Province in the central part of the country.

The Acid Rain Control and Environmental Improvement Project is the first ADB-supported acid rain control project, an ADB news release said. The project will reduce the pollution that causes acid rain in four cities in Anhui.

Acid rain is emerging as a major concern in Asia. Soil acidification damages agriculture and forestry, increased acidity upsets the ecology of rivers and lakes, and acid deposits damage cultural historical structures.

Air quality in the poor inland Anhui province has deteriorated to levels harmful to human health. Acid rain has been especially damaging in the ecologically rich Yangtze River Valley, more seriously than in other parts of the country.

"This project will improve health and drinking water for residents and provide better working conditions for state enterprise workers," said Piya Abeygunawardena, ADB's senior economist for environment. He noted that other benefits include enhanced agriculture and forestry productivity, and more direct and indirect employment. In addition, investment in cleaner production and technology transfer will promote economic growth and reduce poverty.

The total cost of the project is 325 million dollars. Apart from the ADB loan, financing will come from the provincial and municipal governments, domestic banks and the industrial

enterprises.

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