Qingfeng Zhang

As Chief of the Rural Development & Food Security Thematic Group, Mr. Zhang provides leadership over the formulation and implementation of the Bank’s strategy and knowledge in agriculture, natural resources, and food. He also oversees the operationalization of ADB’s vision on agriculture, natural resources, and food in regional and country programs. Each year, Rural Development, Natural Resources, and Food has $3-4 billion investments across the Bank (investments, results-based lending, and policy-based lending). There are about 135 staff members in this sector across the Bank.

As the head of Environment thematic group, Mr. Zhang leads the Bank’s initiatives in natural capital lab, ocean health action plan, air quality management, and the East Asian Australasian Flyway.

Prior to serving in this role, Mr. Zhang was the Director for Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture in ADB’s East Asia Department (2014-2020). He successfully linked agricultural production with natural resources management and environmental health—delivering the $2 billion Yangtze river economic belt framework program, designing the $6 billion rural vitalization program in PRC, and formulating multiple-phased air quality management and sustainable tourism programs in Mongolia across the various sectors.
 
Prior to joining ADB, he was a Senior Environment Specialist at the World Bank in Washington, D.C.; a Director at the State Environmental Protection Administration in Beijing; and a Research Fellow at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

Mr. Zhang is a Chinese national. He holds a doctoral degree in environmental engineering from the Tsinghua University, as well as a master’s degree in water resources management and a bachelor’s degree in hydrology from the Sichuan University. He was also trained at the Harvard Business School through its Executive Development Program.