The ADB is helping to revive key water sources and wetlands in and around Qingdao municipality in eastern China that have been degraded by years of pollution and overuse with a technical assistance grant of $750,000. ADB is providing a $45 million loan for the Qingdao water resources and wetland protection project, which will be used to build or upgrade wastewater, sewerage, and flood management facilities. The government of Jiaozhou city in the municipality-which suffers from serious pollution and flooding -will provide counterpart funds worth $60.8 million. The coastal wetlands of Jiaozhou Bay are the most important marine ecosystem in the Qingdao coastal region, and are a breeding ground for many types of fish and shellfish as well as a resting place for migratory birds. However, with the rapid growth of the coastal population and economy, the wetland area has shrunk by an estimated 30% since the 1950s. Zhang Qingfeng, senior water resources engineer with ADB's East Asia Department, said: The wetlands need to be protected as they play a key role in flood management and coastal protection which will be increasingly significant to coastal cities as sea levels continue to rise as a result of global warming.'
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