• News Release:2019-10-12
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(Summary description)Since the enforcement of the reform and open policy, the PRC has experienced rapid economic and social development in its rural areas. However, the economic conditions and the living environment in rural towns and villages lag behind those in urban areas. Thus, the government identified rural vitalization as key to ensuring future economic development and environmental improvement in rural areas. The strategy requires efforts to solve outstanding environmental problems and actions to improve the rural environment. In particular, support to rural development necessitates suitable approaches to (i) improving access to rural sanitation, stormwater management, and wastewater management; (ii) improving rural infrastructure and capacity development; (iii) controlling pollution; (iv) improving rural financial services; and (v) modernizing agriculture.   The Government of the PRC formulated the rural vitalization strategy for 2018–2022 to promote poverty reduction, rural development, and green and inclusive growth. The strategy focuses on agriculture modernization, rural wastewater and waste management, rural–urban integration, ecosystem services protection, rural health and education services development, and rural governance reform. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the government have agreed to adopt a framework approach to strategically design ADB’s lending and nonlending program to provide support for the PRC’s rural vitalization initiatives. Therefore, taking the management of sanitation and wastewater in rural areas as a priority, the ADB initiates a knowledge and support technical assistance to provide policy advice and guidelines, capacity development, and knowledge exchange, which will strengthen rural ecological and environmental management and systems in China.