Final Report - Asian Development Bank

38 Main Report
Ibis, (iii) Golden Monkey. The iconic nature of these species and their use in ex-situ conservation and
commercial exploitation needs to be world class. International scrutiny can be expected in relation to
the care and welfare of animals and the possibility of creating incentives for further wild harvesting of
animals for commercial benefit. Both the ADB and the Government need to fully recognize the extent
of scrutiny that can be expected and to jointly ensure best practices are followed. The proximity to
Xian and the mass tourism market driven mostly by the Terra Cotta Soldiers provides an exciting
opportunity to link the Project Area its enterprises and its inhabitants to the Shaanxi tourism market
chain. The potential benefits from tourism and nature tourism are such that significant reductions in
the levels of household poverty in mountainous villages of the Project Area are envisaged.
124. An important feature of the Project is the use of a smaller manageable Project area as a field
conservation demonstration area and the linkage of this to the wider Qinling mountains. The nature of
this linkage being through the participation envisaged in the preparation and review of Qinling
conservation priorities and plans, the demonstration of new technologies and practices and the
sharing of information and opportunities for research, monitoring etc. The proposed Project Area
institutional and organization reforms mirror the major challenge facing improved management in the
wider Qinling Mountains. Here the vast array of scattered and often overlapping organizational
interests has resulted in competitive behavior, lack of cooperation, wastage of resources, and the
dilution of skills in shortage. The consolidation of enterprises into one singular management, entity
would be a significant achievement that has benefit throughout China and natural resource
management.
125. The use of GEF funds has purposively been kept at a distance from existing Implementing
agencies. The EA, Shaanxi PDRC wished to allocate these resources often competitively to institutes
and NGOs that can match the grant funds with their own resources. As such the EA seeks to lever
additional resources into the Project and ensure the most cost effective use of GEF resources.
E. Project Investment Plan
126. The project investment cost is estimated at $ 129.2 million, including taxes and duties of $6.0
million.