Australia-China Environment Development Partnership (ACEDP)
2007–2012
Australian contribution: $24.6 million
Duration: 2007- 2012
Beijing-based Managing Contractor: GHD
Summary
The partnership aims to support China's policies for a better environment in areas of mutual interest to China and Australia through a partnering approach. It is designed to respond to shifting policy priorities and emerging issues. The initial focus of the program on water resource management reflected a high priority for both China and Australia, but there is scope to expand and develop over time to include other priority issues of common interest has seen the adoption of projects on issues such as climate change adaptation and payments for ecosystem services.
The partnership's projects are also aimed at facilitating enduring partnerships between Australian and Chinese agencies, institutions and individuals engaged in environmental policy development and implementation. Activities under the partnership include pilot studies and projects, study tours, training courses, conferences, work attachments, exchange programs and scientific cooperation and policy dialogue mechanisms.
The Australian Government parters to the ACEDP are the:
- Department for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities
- Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry's Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences
- National Water Commission
- Murray-Darling Basin Authority and
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
The Chinese Government partners are the:
- Ministry of Water Resources
- Ministry of Environmental Protection
- State Forestry Administration and
- National Development and Reform Commission
Key projects
To date, 23 projects have been funded under ACEDP following agreement by the program partners. These are at various stages of implementation. Some examples of these projects and achievements follow:
- The River Health and Environmental Flows in China Project
The project involves trialling and adapting international approaches to river health and environmental flows assessments for the China scenario, including the introduction of river health reporting cards. This will be facilitated through pilot studies to develop and demonstrate the application of river health and environmental flow assessment methods as well as through study tours, workshops, and training courses that demonstrate science-based river monitoring and environmental flows estimation concepts.
- Wetlands Management Policy, Guidelines & Capacity Building Project
The project aims to prepare draft national guidelines for (i) management planning and monitoring of RAMSAR listed wetlands, (ii) assessment and construction of national wetland parks and (iii) restoration of wetlands. Following evaluation of the draft guidelines at project pilot sites and subsequent refinement, the guidelines will be in a stage where they might be adopted by Chinese authorities, ultimately leading to improved wetland management outcomes.
- Water Ecology Compensation (Payment for Environmental Services) Policy & Mechanisms Project
The project aimed, through a combination of study tours, workshops and training, to achieve the development and adoption of realistic and practical Payment for Environmental Services (PES) schemes for staff of both the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) and the Ministry of Water Resources (MWR), ultimately leading to provision of safe and adequate urban water supplies. Practical and hands-on knowledge was promoted through application of PES schemes at pilot sites used for urban water supply.
The MEP driven case study on Miyun Reservoir (which provides Beijing’s water supply) identified realistic options to convince farmers to change their farming behaviour, resulting in a reduction of phosphorus intake for the reservoir. These options are being trialled by MEP.
More information
For more information visit the ACEDP website
ACEDP contact:
Gunther Mau
Program Manager
C11-12/F Tower 2 Xihuan Plaza, No 1 Xiwai Avenue, Xicheng District, Beijing, PRC
Tel: +86-10-59301537
Fax: +86-10-58301607
Email: Gunther.mau@acedp-partnership.org
AusAID contact:
Martin Cosier
Senior Policy Officer
No 21, Dong Zhi Men Wai Dajie, Beijing, PRC
Tel: +86-10 5140 4395
Fax: +86-10 5140 4199
Email: martin.cosier@dfat.gov.au
Last reviewed:
29 November, 2011
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