Bio-diversity

Heyuan village is a poverty-stricken community with annual income of $295 per capita. Local people mainly depend on agriculture and timer logging. Heyuan has significant ecological value for biodiversity conservation. It is located in the core area of three parallel rivers area which is known as World Natural Heritage site and also identified as biodiversity hotspots by National Biodiversity Conservation Strategy and Action Plan. The project will address biodiversity conservation and community development by an integrated approach. Main problems: 1. Under the pressure of economic growth and policy change on nature resource management, the original institutions have been destroyed and traditional public management mechanism is abandoned. On the other hand, the new institutions and public management mechanism are not created.Therefore, unsustainable natural resources utilization leads to deforestation and environmental degradation. 2. Local people have no alternative way but timber logging to improve their household income due to lack of knowledge and techniques of sustainable development 3. The community lacks of public management system and community institutions which causes environmental degradation. Solutions/activities: 1) Establish CCA and promote public management institutions and mechanism. 2) Establish beekeeper cooperative and herb medicines cooperative based on existing farmers cooperative to promote beekeeping and herb medicines planting as alternative livelihood. 3)Install biogas facility to promote renewable energy utilization at local community. 4) Promote public health management and reduce the use of chemical fertilizer and pesticides. Anticipated results/outcomes: 1)10-12 CBA established with a total area above 2500ha. under conservation. 2) 50 people gain the skills of beekeeping and herb medicines planting separately and their annual income increased $300 and $500 accordingly. 3) 15 tons of CO2 emission reduced per year. 4)100 household participated in chemical fertilizers and pesticides control activities.

China