The environment in the Yellow River Delta (YRD) is under stress from large socio-economic pressures, leading to air, soil and water pollution. A Sino-Dutch project the Sustainable Development YRD project (1995 – 1997) was undertaken with the principle goal of contributing to the sustainable, long-term development of the Yellow River Delta. Objectives and criteria for sustainable development were defined. One of the main project challenges was to show how to use the limited fresh water resources in a sustainable way. This was undertaken using integrated and analytical tools in which future developments and strategies were systematically analysed. Such an approach provides a strong incentive to begin communication and develop mutual understanding between the different responsible authorities and stakeholders.