Wuhan is a noted cultural and historical city with a history of nearly 3,500 years as well as a megalopolis which is located in the east of the Jianghan Plain, where the Changjian (Yangtze) River meets with its longest tributary-the Han River. The city government administrates at present 13 districts, two state level development zones, totaling 8,467 square kilometers.

In 1997 Wuhan was recommended by National EPB to join the global Sustainable Cities Program. The Sustainable Wuhan Project (SWP) received financial support from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and technical support from UN-HABITAT. It was executed by China International Center for Economic and Technical Exchanges (CICETE) and locally implemented by Wuhan Municipal Government (WMG). UNEP-IETC provided some financial assistance and additional technical support through the introduction of Environmental Risk Assessment (ENRA) & Environmental Technology Assessment (ETA).The SWP aimed to promote environmentally sustainable development in the Municipality of Wuhan by enhancing the efficiency of use and re-use of environmental resources and by reducing environmental degradation through strategic planning and environmental management.