The world's local bank
Working with WWF
Yangtze river restoration
In partnership with WWF, HSBC is working with local governments and communities to reconnect lakes in the Hubei region with the Yangtze River and restore wetlands for migrant birds, fish and other wildlife. In addition to environmental benefits such as reduced risk of flooding and drought, the project encourages local communities to adopt environmentally friendly livelihoods such as eco-tourism, fish farming and growing aquatic vegetables.
The five-year WWF-HSBC Yangtze Programme was launched in 2002 with funding of RMB30 million from HSBC.
Achievement Highlights
- Restored 450km2 of wetlands, seasonal relinking of 11 lakes with the Yangtze and brought an increase of 290 million m3 in flood retention capacity.
- Improved the quality of water and restored 34 species of birds and 14 species of fish.
- Restored Lake Hong which is awarded Ramsar site status in 2008 and won The Best Lake Conservation Practice award at the 11th International Lakes Conference in 2006.
- Sustained livelihoods of about 300 fishermen.
- Through the Wetland Ambassador Programme, HSBC has supported some 1,500 university students and their teachers to help them spread the wetland conservation concept to people from more than 20 provinces.
- Encouraged by the Yangtze programme, the local government has allocated RMB7.3 billion for wetland conservation.
The Yangtze programme is one of the three initiatives under the five-year Investing in Nature programme to tackle the world's freshwater and plant extinction crises, and provide extra manpower for environmental research. Investing in Nature is a USD50 million eco-partnership established by HSBC with WWF, Earthwatch and Botanic Gardens Conservation International.
The Yangtze River has been cut off from most of its nearby lakes due to the construction of dams and dykes as well as land reclamation. Intensive farming and fishing, and the uncontrolled use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides have caused severe flooding, fresh water shortages and water pollution.
Three isolated lakes in the Hubei region - Lake Hong, Lake Zhangdu and Tian'e-zhou - were selected as demonstration sites to study the Yangtze's eco-problems and find solutions. The WWF has also conducted public education activities and collaborated with local government and communities to implement better policies on water management and develop sustainable alternative livelihoods.
Established by WWF in 2005, the Yangtze Forum brought government officials together for the first time to develop a vision to manage the Yangtze River in a sustainable manner. The forum focuses on three key areas - drinking water, flood mitigation and the protection of ecologically vulnerable areas - that directly impact on the well-being of the 400 million people living in the basin, and on the ecology and long-term prosperity of the basin.
As part of the forum, a 400 hectare (1,000 acre) pilot project has been set up on Honghu Lake, a designated nature reserve in Hubei Province, central China.
Due to intensive enclosed fish farming, the lake area is fragemented into ponds, resulting in degradation of vegetation and deterioration of water quality.
Bank Chairman Vincent Cheng helps spread fish fry at Lake Hong during his visit in April 2006.
Chief Executive Officer China Richard Yorke in a bird watching activity during his visit to Lake Hong in April 2006.
WWF supports villagers to identify sustainable livelihoods with a credit assistance programme.
Community education is a significant part of the Yangtze Program. Teaching materials are produced to educate students on environmental protection.
Mainland staff volunteers conducted education programmes for villagers. Hai Yan, from the Bank's Wuhan branch, shows a video on environmental protection to the village children.
