Sustainable development can solve rural China's climate challenges

This article was originally post on ifad.org.

As I arrived in Hunan, where otherworldly limestone hills emerge from lush greenery, I knew I was in a place unlike anywhere else in the world. Here, people are in touch with the changing seasons and the rhythms of agricultural life.

But Hunan, like the rest of China, has experienced dramatic change in the past decades. On my first visit to China as Associate Vice-President, I was eager to learn how IFAD has accompanied this dynamic country on its development journey – and how we will continue to collaborate into the future.

Back in 1981, IFAD was the first international institution to financially support China’s rural development. Since then, more than 20 million of its poorest and most vulnerable rural people have benefited from IFAD-supported projects.

Following a period of unparalleled economic growth, China declared it had eradicated extreme poverty in 2021.

Changing tack in challenging times

Yet our work is not done. Climate change presents a devastating threat to rural communities in Hunan. Natural disasters, once a rare phenomenon, are increasingly common. During my visit alone, a flood at Dongting Lake breached an embankment and devastated the fields around it.

When such disasters strike, rural people on the verge poverty risk backsliding. For the most vulnerable people, including ethnic minorities, this risk is even more pronounced.

In the prefecture I visited, four in five people are from Tujia or Miao ethnic minorities, many of whom just recently emerged from poverty. That’s why, to protect fragile progress, rural development must be sustainable.

In Fenghuang county, I met Guanmin, a member of the Miao ethnic minority and the leader of a cooperative of kiwifruit growers. Supported by the H2RDP project, he switched to red kiwifruit, which commands a much higher market price. But he’s also been careful to adapt his farm to climate change.

Thanks to irrigation infrastructure and organic fertilizer provided through the project, his vines are thriving in spite of shifting weather patterns. The cooperative now has a fallback whenever rain is scarce, while the soil is healthier and more resistant to floods.  

As Guanmin told me, “With the help of IFAD’s reservoir, we can have stable water supply and prevent agricultural losses even during droughts.”  

His livelihood much improved, he sees a long future ahead for his farm. Guanmin told me that his 15-year-old son aspires to study agriculture and contribute to the farm's success.

Rural youth for rural gains

Mirroring China’s new rural revitalization strategy, the H2RDP project creates employment opportunities so young people remain in or return to rural areas.

One of these young people is Huaqing. He migrated to Chongqing city after graduating high school. But in 2022, Huaqing decided to return to Sanzao Village. With a grant and training from H2RDP, he set up 150 beehives and began a thriving beekeeping business.

Now 27 years old, Huaqing has supplied bees and given beekeeping training to over 40 villagers. Thanks to this entrepreneurial and passionate young person, many others in his community can earn an income from honey and be part of China’s rural transformation.

A green development agenda

I met countless IFAD project participants who are achieving sustainable change. Yet, despite living on the frontlines of climate change, they are often left out of global conversations about climate adaptation and mitigation.

That’s why IFAD’s new agreement with the Multilateral Cooperation Center for Development Finance is so important. Together, we will improve cross-border connectivity, knowledge sharing and capacity building for green development, opening an important channel for climate finance to reach those most in need.

Sharing sustainable success

China's rural transformation over the last forty years has been extraordinary – and the China-IFAD SSTC (South-South Triangular Co-operation) Facility is helping other countries make similar progress. Since 2018, the facility has shared local knowledge and proven solutions from China and the Global South with 38 developing countries – and counting.

Projects focus on value chain development, climate adaptation and agricultural productivity. For example, a projectsupported by the Facility and implemented by the International Bamboo and Rattan Organization improved the bamboo value chain in Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana and Madagascar. It did so by developing a national bamboo strategy and providing technical assistance.

The Facility is just one of many opportunities to partner with China on SSTC – and that’s why IFAD is strengthening our general SSTC programme around the world.

Tackling shared challenges together is exactly the type of collaboration we need to achieve sustainable development for all. And it's why, despite immense global challenges, my time in Hunan gave me hope that a better and more sustainable future for our planet's rural people is possible.