WWF-China’s interventions in Baimaxueshan Nature Reserve, China
Case Study C0120
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| Date | 2005 |
| Agency | WWF-China |
| Donor/support agency | Office of Nature Reserve of Yunnan Forestry Department Deqin County Government, China Baimaxueshan Nature Reserve Bureau Forestry Bureau of Diqing Prefecture, China AUSAid WWF International |
| Project type | Implemented by agency |
| Context(s) | Protected area |
| Geographic coverage | China |
| Locality | Deqin County, Yunnan Province |
| Biodiversity focus | Forest and wildlife habitats in Baimaxueshan Nature Reserve |
| Development focus | Local communities |
| Conservation goals | Reduce degradation of forest and wildlife habitats in Baimaxueshan reserve and promote sustainable co-management of forest resources |
| Poverty reduction goals | Improve living standards among targeted poor households in Deqin County reduce social tension between reserve authorities and the local population |
Summary
WWF-China’s interventions focused on the Baimaxueshan Nature Reserve in the mountains of Yunnan Province of the Tibetan plateau, home to 60,000 people from 13 different ethnic minority groups. Recent expansion of this nature reserve placed a large number of Deqin County residents within its territorial boundaries. As a consequence of their newly designated status, these communities experienced severe restrictions on their traditional livelihood strategies. Conflicts between local communities and managers of the reserves increased in Deqin County as livelihoods were threatened.
In the late 1990s, WWF-China worked with selected communities in the nature reserve to improve living conditions and reduce conflicts with existing policies. Direct efforts to raise living standards through a combination of microcredit, improved agricultural production technologies and formation of small enterprises proved successful but, due to the capital and input intensity of these activities, they proved unsustainable and not replicable on a broader scale. A new approach was needed.
The starting point of WWF-China’s new strategy was at the local level, involving working simultaneously with managers of Baimaxueshan Nature Reserve, officials of Deqin County and members of local communities. The approach designed by the participating parties featured an equitable benefit-sharing system, compliance with legal standards and management decentralization. With the successful adaptation of the co-management regime at the local level, WWF-China initiated an educational and advocacy program with provincial authorities to encourage adoption of the approach through the province.
Along with its efforts to increase acceptance of the approach at meso-level government institutions, WWF-China organized a series of presentations and interventions at the national level for policy experts and government agencies. Seminars, consultations and meetings at the national level underscored how increased community responsibility translated into improved resource management and increased economic opportunities in rural areas.
Conservation impact
None/not known
Poverty reduction impact
Intially, living conditions of local communities living in and around Baimaxueshan Nature Reserve have improved thanks to strategies like microcredit, improved agricultural production technologies and formation of small enterprises. Later, welfare gains were achieved through a benefit-sharing system, compliance with legal standards and management decentralization.
Strategy for Conservation/Poverty Linkages
Revenue sharing
Enabling local participation in policy-/decision- making processes
Provision of alternative livelihoods
Reference 1
http://assets.panda.org/downloads/ia1.pdf
Reference 2
http://www.wwfchina.org
More information
http://assets.panda.org/downloads/china.pdf
Related records above this one:
- WWF International (Organisation O0115)