Environmental research

Targeted Location and Population: Chebaling Biosphere Reserve, is located in southeastern part of Shixing county, city of Shaoguan, Guangdong province.The reserve provides protection for mid-subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest as well as the endangered animals. There are thousands of rare animals and plants in the forest of the Reserve. The project targets 40 villager households, with a mix of ethnic groups of Han and Yao, which distribute over the eight villages in Chebaling Biosphere Reserve. Forestry income makes up 80 percent of their annual income and the per capita arable land is only about 0.68 Mu (1Mu=666.67m2). They mainly rely on collection of wild mushrooms and planting corn, rice and Chinese watermelon and so on. Deforestation for firewood consumption is the main energy source in their daily life. The per capita annual income is less than RMB 3500 Yuan. Problems: The local habitants depended mainly on logging, as a main production for firing, cooking and heating in their daily life. A family of five consumed at least 3 tons firewood per year and the figure might be as high as 6. It s equal to 8.6 tons of the CO2 emissions.There is an urgent need to solve the conflict between the natural resources protection and community development. Solutions/ planned activities: 1.Identify the needs of technical training and the barriers of community sustainable development. 2.Establish community skills training center, base on current conditions. 3. Organize publicity and training on climate change mitigation and biodiversity conservation for the locals. 4. carry out eco-beekeeping demonstration for selected farmers 5. Provide training on edible fungus and mulberry cultivation to the farmers 6. Construct biogas digesters for the locals. Anticipated results/ immediate outputs of this project: 1. A community training center is established 2. about 30 households have the knowledge of renewable energy, climate change and biodiversity conservation. 3. about 10 households have the skill of eco-beekeeping; expect to increase an average annual income of RMB 13000 Yuan per household. 4. about 30 household know how to cultivate edible fungus and mulberry 5. about 30 biogas digesters is constructed; biogas digester circular economy demonstration is established for about 30 households, which will contribute to 8.6 tons of CO2 emissions reduction per household per year.

China