The
World Wide Fund for
Nature (WWF) was the first NGO in China to offer environmental
protection in co-operation with the Chinese government. Its chief
rep in China, Jim Harkness, spoke to a reporter from the
People's Daily about the achievements that have been made
during its time here.
Effective Cooperation
The WWF has been acting in cooperation with the Chinese government
since 1981 when it set about protecting one of China's most
important national symbols, the panda. This national treasure is
also the corporate image of the WWF. In 1996, a formal branch
department of the WWF was established in China. Currently,
the WWF have eight "broad-spectrum" environmental projects running
here. These include 30 specific areas of species preservation,
environmental protection, wetlands conservation and forest
restoration. Both the Chinese government and the WWF consider their
mutual cooperation to be an effective one.
In
1993, the WWF and the Chinese Forestry Ministry established a plan
of cooperation to increase the number of giant pandas in China and
protect their natural habitats. As a result of the second national
panda survey, the "Plan for Preservation of Giant Pandas and Their
Habitats" was ratified by the State Council. The effective
implementation of the plan was to see an increase in the number of
panda's natural habitat reserves from 11 to 33.
With the active support of the WWF, the State Forestry
Administration of China designed 14 national wetlands projects that
were to go on to be mentioned in The Ramsar List of Wetlands of
International Importance on World Wetlands Day 2002.
In
environmental education, the Chinese Ministry of Education worked
with the WWF on a "National Environmental Education Guide" that was
to act as a indispensable teaching aid for universities, middle
schools and primary schools throughout China in order to further
stimulate environmental education.
Bilateral Benefits
The chief representative of the WWF in China, Jim Harkness, has
fully acclimatized to Chinese culture in his time here. As well as
adopting a Chinese name, Hao Keming, he speaks confident and
self-assured Chinese. He ascribed the success in the mutual
cooperation between China and the WWF to a "participation
protection mode" that effectively delivers WWF environmental
policy.
Harkness talked about this policy and a specific example of land
reclamation. The WWF has helped local government to implement a
project for protection of the Yangtze River wetlands since 1998, in
order to effectively restore the ecology of damaged dykes and
return areas of farmland to natural lakes. As this was to present
considerable problems to local farmers in the region of the Yangtze
project, the WWF sat down and discussed the ways that they could
continue their livelihood once the project was under way and the
farmland had been reclaimed. Initially, it was explained to them
the ecological importance of such a project and the alternatives
that were open to them. In the course of these discussions the
farmers showed enthusiasm for the alternatives presented to them of
farmed fishing, pig breeding and ecology tours despite the fact
that they lacked either the funds to implement them or the
expertise to carry them out. Accordingly, the WWF and local
government provided the funds to enable such projects and gave
technical support, allowing the project to go ahead. Harkness
commented on the project:
"Now, the problems have been solved and the government's objective
has been realized. The livelihood of the farmers has also been
restored now that the farmland has been returned to its natural
water-based condition. Everyone is content."
During the flood season local farmers now have no reason to worry
when the Yangtze River floods as they are protected from the damage
it caused in the past while the wetlands restoration project
continues accordingly.
"The priority doesn't lie in what method is being used as much as
in the practical effect and feasibility of the project plan. We
have never consented to adopt plans that are not field-based. We
ask our staff to work from local sites where they can investigate
the practical difficulties of how the project can be implemented.
This is done together with the people it affects and whose
interests are related to the project."
Harkness' love for the environment and Eastern culture began in
childhood with his family's, and in particular, his parent's love
of nature. He went on to study ecology at the University of
Wisconsin in New York State and later embarked on a master's degree
in sociology attempting to address the many social phenomena that
contribute to the subject of environmental protection.
He
is fluent in local Chinese culture and conditions as well as being
a natural speaker of the language. He is modest of these talents
that receive praise from both friends and colleagues.
"My grasp of Chinese and knowledge about China is far from
adequate. I am always studying."
He
is of the philosophy that knowing about the culture in which you
work is vital for success. As such it is highly likely that the
achievements of the WWF's work in China has been greatly influenced
by his hard work and cultural understanding.
(china.org.cn, translated by Zhang Tingting, October 16, 2002)