49307-001 - Xinjiang Hetian Comprehensive Urban Development and Environmental Improvement Project: Technical Assistance

Hetian city, located in the southernmost part of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR) is a growing (the city's 2015 population of 331,400 exceeds planning estimates) ethnic (87% Uygur) city, whose urban infrastructure and services are struggling to keep up with population growth. At the same time, the city faces (i) an arid climate (almost no rainfall), (ii) dependency on constrained water resources, and (iii) an encroaching desert. The boundaries for urban expansion, limited by the desert, lead to intensified urban development. Hetian (also known as Hotan) has a long history as an oasis town on the Southern silk route and is renowned for its jade and carpets. Traditionally isolated, a planned railway linkage from Golmud, Qinghai, through Hetian and Kashi, to South and Central Asia, will increase growth pressures. Tourism growth will follow stability and Hetian remains a desirable place to settle from within the Hetian prefecture.