CCCFL - JIANGXI FORESTS

The project is to afforest 14,100 ha of Cunninghamia Lanceolata, 5,800 ha of conifer and 400 ha of fructus gardeniae in yhe Poyang Lake basin of Jianxi province.

The project is eligible under the Facility for Energy Sustainability and Security of Supply (ESF). It will be funded under the China Climate Change Framework Loan (CCCFL) which supports the EU-China 2020 strategic agenda for cooperation by promoting sustainable development, biodiversity and sustainable use of forests, in particular with the valuation of ecosystem services in China. The project promotes sequestration of carbon through biological growth of sustainably managed forests. Climate adaptation is addressed by increasing forest cover and building forest root systems that stabilise soils and increase soil water retention capacity in vulnerable areas so as to decrease the risk of landslides and soil erosion. Therefore, the project delivers an important contribution to the Bank's climate action objective. It also contributes to the economic development of the country, covering its rural areas.

The project will plant 20 300 hectares of new forest in Jiangxi Province. The planted trees will sequester and store carbon. The project helps to improve the quality of local forest resources, enhancing forest management and strengthening forests' role in creating multi-functional benefits. It will generate income and employment for rural people and reduce rural emigration in an area suffering from considerable surplus of labour. An environmental impact assessment (EIA) was completed in March 2015.

The Bank will require the promoter to ensure that implementation of the project will be done in accordance with the Bank's Guide to Procurement.