(CFP photo)

The Jiangsu branch of the Agricultural Development Bank of China (ADBC), the country's only rural policy bank, will issue at least 40 billion yuan worth of loans to specially support protection efforts of the Yangtze River this year, local media reported on July 9.

The exclusive loans, which aim to reach 100 billion yuan this year, will focus on governance of water environment, urban sewage and garbage treatment, water supply network and water source construction, as well as the protection and restoration of wetlands.

Xu Hao, director of the branch, said the bank will earmark more than 75 percent of newly-added credit scale to the protection of the country’s longest river and designate 20 billion yuan in loans to support restoration undertaking related to the river.

The major areas to benefit from the financing will be treatment of polluted water, restoration of ecological system, protection of water resources and industrial transformation.

The branch has funded nearly 300 projects with 140 billion yuan in loans since last year.