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The Yulong (Jade Dragon)
But the growth in tourism has brought an unexpected side effect. Roars of motor vehicles and sounds of tourists have driven many bears that used to live in the As their habitat becomes smaller and food more scarce, the bears have begun to affect the lives of the local Yi people. Once, the bears ravaged some 100 domestic goats. The Yi people used to take great pride in bear hunting. But instead of going after the bears, villagers sat down this time to discuss the situation with local officials. The bears are under State protection and The local government couldn't afford compensation. But negotiations resulted in the government forking out 10,000 yuan (US$1,233) to build a pipeline network to solve the drinking water shortage for both villagers and livestock. Meanwhile the locals decided that nobody, whether villagers or outsiders, should hunt the bears. Each year, more than 40 goats are eaten by the bears, but locals say the existence of the bears is a result of their protection effort and the bears do not pose great harm to them. "As the local people were active in making the decision, they were eager to carry it through," said Yu Xiaogang, director of Green Watershed, an environmental non-governmental organization based in Kunming of Yunnan. Public voices heard But things were quite different in 1998, when Yu was carrying out surveys for his doctoral thesis and came to In the winter, the fish grow fat and fetched good prices at Lijiang. Traditionally, the local people, mainly of Naxi and Yi minorities, went fishing in the winter. The area is also an important winter ground for well over 100,000 migratory birds of 165 species such as the black-necked crane, bar-headed goose and ruddy shelduck. In 1998, the But the 65-square-kilometre reserve is still home to some 300,000 people. Winter fishing was forbidden to guarantee a food source for migratory birds. Instead, fishing in spring was allowed. But another problem soon appeared: Although the birds have left, spring is a season for the fish to breed. To aggravate the problem, a project completed in 1998 directed water from the lake to the old town and the new urban centre of Lijiang. The dam inundated local farming land. And the small subsidy wasn't enough to provide a new means of earning a living. "The area faced the typical problems posed by watershed's development in the country," Yu said. The interests of the upper stream communities, comprised mostly of farmers, were sacrificed for the economic gains of downstream urban centers. Yu said the decision-making process concerning dam constructions or nature reserve establishments had not included listening to the local people's voices. Feasibility studies did not include analyzing the effect of the constructions upon the lives of the local people, the ecology and environment. In 2000, the Green Watershed, also known as the Participatory Watershed Management Research and Promotion Centre, began to work with the local government and residents in seeking sustainable development for The Lashi Lake Region Management Committee was set up with government and village committee representatives, as well as individual villagers. Through meetings and written forms, local residents were included in the decision-making process and helped gain the capacity to make their own decisions on local development. Two years later, the ban on winter fishing was lifted and the fishery resource has slowly recovered. Then in 2003, when a new project to direct water was proposed, the local government turned it down after the residents voiced strongly their serious concerns. The "There are several kinds of involvement for the local residents," Yu explained. "When they only contribute labor, they feel they have little to do with the projects. But when they are engaged intelligently, they will abide by the final decision even though they are not paid." Because of his efforts at helping communities at Founded by Richard N. Goldman in 1990, the Goldman Environmental Prize is the world's largest prize program honoring grass-roots environmentalists. "Dr Yu is committed to working with the disadvantaged, and has given them a voice in the development process. His approach will help Founded in 1974 by Lester Brown as an independent research organization, Worldwatch offers discussion of environmental and social issues by analyzing them from a global and interdisciplinary perspective. Optimistic man Yu was born in The years of living in Although he majored in Chinese literature history at "Many of these regions have become nature reserves thanks to the local residents' tradition of preserving the ecosystems," Yu told China Daily on the eve of his departure to the Yu was puzzled by his negative findings when chance brought him to the Asian Institute of Technology in "The 10 years were decisive for the direction of my career," said Yu. "My studies showed that the minorities' traditional cultures could be an alternative of our development and conservation. The diversities of biology and culture are equally important." When asked how he plans to spend the US$125,000 awarded by the Goldman prize, Yu said he would try to find an appropriate way to face the risks brought by his work. Among the eight staff at Green Watershed, there are three retirees, one volunteer and four formal staff members. They often drive along roads built on cliffs threatened by constant landslides. When there's no road, Yu and his colleagues hang on cables suspended on mountains and throw themselves across the torrential rivers. If they enter the heart of nature reserves, where it is easy to get lost and the hope of rescue is scarce. A source of comfort, or satisfaction, for his work, has been the gratitude and friendship with the local residents he has helped. In 2002, Yu and his colleagues carried out a survey at the Manwan Hydropower Station whose first phase was completed in His report on the social impact of the Manwan Dam was made known to former Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji, who ordered the local government to tackle the poverty issue of the local people as soon as possible. As a result, the "The local people continue to call me even today to express their gratitude and invite me to their new homes," said Yu. In 2002, Yu attended the International Conference on the Conservation and Management of Lakes in Local monks joined protests when the lake suffered from pollution from local industries. A musician composed a song for the lake and taught children to sing it. An American oil painter also went to the conference, demonstrating the paintings he did over the three decades for the lake. "Such passion was rare in ( |
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