Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region plays a key role in the Chinese sugar
industry, with more than 20 million people working in sugarcane agriculture
and production. In China, as much as 60 percent of sugar production comes
from the region. But Guangxi also suffers from droughts and flooding, which
damage harvests and decrease productivity. In 2009, Guangxi and four
other provinces of southwest China experienced a severe drought of historic
proportions, which significantly impacted crop yields.

UNDP thus established a project in 2010 to improve irrigation in sugarcane
fields. The project is an excellent example of scaling up: after initial pilot
projects in Shangsi and other areas, UNDP finalized an efficient model of
drip irrigation to provide regular irrigation in Jiangzhou.