Asia Development Bank (ADB) will help improve wastewater management and water resources in Wuhan, China, through a loan of US$83 million.

The loan for the Wuhan Wastewater Management Project will bring infrastructure and management improvements to the wastewater sector of Wuhan, capital of Hubei Province, the Manila-base ADB said Tuesday in a statement.

Under the project, three wastewater treatment plants will be built, along with more than 100 km of sewers and pumping stations. Other project components will tackle corporate governance, wastewater management, and environmental monitoring.

"Wastewater interception, treatment, and disposal offer the best long-term opportunity for cutting down on waterborne pollution and improving water quality in the rivers and lakes around Wuhan," says Nancy Convard, an ADB senior project specialist on water supply and urban development.

Significantly, this is the first project funded by ADB, where the total of the counterpart funds are provided by the wastewater company, not the government.

"The project will make a major contribution toward pollution control, improved public health, and environmental management in Wuhan and the Changjiang basin," She added.

More than 1.8 million urban residents in the area will be direct beneficiaries of the project, which is due for completion around June 2008.

ADB has invested more than 1 billion dollars in wastewater and water supply projects in China, including 10 loans and 48 technical assistance studies.

(People's Daily April 29, 2003)