0200-C1
Lai Qingkui[1]
This paper describes and analyses problems, conflicts and issues in the context of social, economic, historic and cultural elements in the management and protection of nature reserves in the upper reaches of the Yuan-Red River watershed in Southeast Yunnan Province, China. Some comments and suggestions are made for sustainable natural resource management and community development.
Honghe prefecture is located southeastern part of Yunnan province, connected with Wenshan, Simao, Yuxi, Qujing and Kunming cities or prefectures in Yunnan, and bordered with Republic of Vietnan country. The highest alleviation in this prefecture, 3074.3 meters, is Xilong mountain at the border between Vietnan and Jinping county. The lowest alleviation is 76.4 meters, located at the cross area of Red river and Nanxi river bordered Vietnan and Hekou county. Honghe prefecture has areas of 32931 square kilometers, and population of 3.885 million people with total of 10 counties, and 3 municipalities, total of 154 townships. Over 10 nationalities are staying in this prefecture. Original nationalities are Hani, Yi, Miao, Yao, Dai and so on, and populations of minorities take 55% of the total.
The red river originated from Weishan county, Dali prefecture, passes through two third counties or municipalities in Honghe prefecture. Total lengthen is 240.6 kilometer, and covered areas reach to 11,496 square kilometers. Due to influence of complex topography and geography, Honghe prefecture is characterize by different climate types that provide a suitable environment for different plants and animals growing. According to investigation, there are over 2078 higher plants, 112 beasts, 450 birds, 50 amphibious animals, 70 reptiles growing in this region. In order to protect these rare and endangered species and original forests, total of eight nature reserves have been being established since 1980s, and total areas reach to 121958 hectares, of which 2 reserves are national (Dawei mountain and fenshuiling), 4 reserves are provincial ones, and 2 are county levels. Nature reserve management institutes have been established in all eight reserves. Some researches and co-management are being conducted.
Due to that majorities of nature reserves have being established since the beginnings of 1980s in Honghe prefecture, in the context of land use right, besides most are the state forests, others are composed of communities forests and farmers’ household use forests. Up to now, there some households or communities staying in these seven nature reserves, and their farming activities, forests products, economic sources are mainly from the nature reserve. No doubt, some conflicts can be produced because of changes on forest land use right. And this issue is existing in all seven reserves in Honghe prefecture.
Because of the limitation of geological environment, all communities are staying in mountainous and sloping areas in or around the reserve. Due to the poor transportation system, far distance to the market, and inaccessible to modern agriculture technology, the subsistence agriculture still takes high proportion. Under the pressure of increasing population, this consequently results in decrease disappearance of forest cover, forest quantity and quality, serious fuel wood and timber crises, environmental deterioration, and damage of wild habitants. In instance, in Pingbian side of Dawei mountain state nature reserve, in 1950s, there were around 7000 hectares of original forests, due to shifting cultivation and illegal cutting for fuelwood or house construction, up to 1990s, only 4760 hectares of forests are existing, of which some are the secondary forests. Outside of the reserve, there are no any natural forests existing.
As you know, according to laws and regulations relative to management of the nature reserve, it is not allowed and illegal for anyone to go into the reserve for collecting of any products such as fuelwood, fodder, NTFPs, farming or grazing. But due to needs of subsistence and development, they have no choice but to get these necessary products in the reserve. According to the survey in Dawei mountain reserve in Pingbian side, during the period of 1986 to 2000, total of 300 cases on illegal cutting have being taken place. Meanwhile, nature reserve is main grazing area of nearby communities, particularly in Winter and Spring months, farmers often place cows and buffalos in the reserve day and night, and have a look once a week.
According to survey in some nature reserves in this region, majorities of villages and farmers staying in or around the reserve are used to go to the reserve for picking up kinds of wild edible foods for family needs or selling in local market. For instance, in Pingbian side of Daweishan nature reserve, most of villagers staying around the reserve, especially women, often picked up wild bamboo shoots, kinds of edible plants shoots and leaves, and traditional Chinese medicines in the reserve and sold in local market. Owing to overexploitation and poor management, however, these non-timer forest resources are being reduced, and farmers must input double time for gathering in far inside of the reserve
In Yuanjiang-Honghe watershed, majority areas are suitable to amomum tsao growing, and local farmers have rich experience in amomum tsao cultivation and management. Based on survey and farmers’ interview, on an average, family income can earn 180 to 240 US$ per year, and the maximum family can reach to 840 to 900 US$ annually. However, this high benefit produced development program has caused the loss of biodiversity and damage of wildlife habitants. While Amomum plants are growing, all ground plants are died, and younger plants and bigger trees under the top canopy layer were cut to prevent cash crops from shading. This results to gradual disappearance of habitants of animals and birds. Since 1995, with the strengthening of propagation of policies and regulations on the reserve and protection of the rare and endangered species, and recognition of wild biodiversity conservation, their impacts to the reserve have been fully understood by decision makers and officers at county government level. Under the support and on the collaboration with the county government and pertinent departments, more strict measures and regulations have been made to stop Tsao-ko Amomum cultivation in the core area. At result, local communities have lost their main source of incomes, and currently, no alternative way of income generation has been provided for local people. Consequently, conflict specific to the promotion of income generation and wildlife conservation among local government, communities and reserve institute are created and sharpened.
No doubt, under the policies of open to outside and market economy, these diverse resources development oriented programs have being implemented and considerable progress have been made. The well-being and the living condition of mountainous ethnic people and forest-depend communities have improved. However, incompatibles and impinge exists among policies, laws and regulations relative to development and conservation of natural resources. On the other hand, however, it is prohibited strictly to develop these wildlife resources in the context of the current laws and regulations for the management and conservation of nature resources. And at the worldwide, there are many examples of households and communities being forcibly removed from the lands where they have lived for generations to resettlements outside of the reserve’s boundaries. All of these issues can demonstrate there are sever incompatibility, sometimes impinges existing in polices, laws and regulations.
In general, most natural resources are controlled and administrated by separate government agency at the different level who formulates their own control measures and development plan based on its own controlled resources, and among them there are existing poor exchange, coordination, cooperation and the integrated development plan, especially among wild bio-resource management agencies. Meanwhile, the resource management agency himself is existing complex administrative structure, poor staff capacity, and “top down” managing style, regardless of local heavy dependence and their development. On the basis of China’s situation, although there are a lot of successful examples of community forestry practices and models, it just is initiatives of community participatory forests or the protected areas. In fact, there is still institutional vacuum from local communities to national level.
It is impossible to manage or protect natural resources by alienating local communities from their living environment and not allow them to meet their subsistence needs for food, fuelwood, and fodder. In order to maintain the rights of the forest-dependent communities in forests, effectively manage and protect kinds of resources, and the rare and endangered species, it is very necessary to place high priorities on resolving these issues or conflicts. Also, It is very imperative to find a sound approach for linkages communities’ benefits to resource conservation. In the linkage with cases and China’s situation, the following are ideas and approaches for integrating community benefit to participatory management.
Based on investigation and consideration of context in social, economic, educational and cultural aspects, Center for Community Forestry Studies(CFS) at Southwest Forestry College (SWFC) has being taking the following methods to meet local farmers’ needs and dependence on forests in Dawei mountain and Fenshuiling nature reserves. In order to reduce energy crisis in communities nearby the reserve, since 1998, the project of bio-gas stove or energy saving stove have been being carried out in some communities of energy crises following principles of farmers’ economic condition, co-input and willing by themselves. Through implementation, great progress has being taken. Farmers also accept this way for resolving energy crisis and have being given high priorities. It is as implementation of the project of energy saving in countryside, illegal cutting and other forest cases have being reduced. Due to improvement of the health condition including both human and animals, animal diseases have being reduced, and farmers are now make money from animal husbandry raising. Meanwhile, farmers have more time chance to be engaged other cash generated activities because of saving time from fuelwood collecting in the past.
The following two approaches have been tried to improve local communities economic situation. The first is to improve efficiency of utilization of cash generation sources through strengthening local capacity, and another is to develop new way to generate cash income based on local physical and economic condition.
While conducting activities on community development and capacity buildings, some measures have been taken to improve management of community forest resources. The main contents include: 1) to establish community based forest management organization which is mainly composed of different stakeholders in community; 2) to make out suitable regulations and measures for management of community forest based on policies, laws and regulations, and full taking consideration of local traditional custom; 3) diverse ways have been taken to propagate policies, laws and regulations relative to environmental protection, forest resources and nature reserve management in communities; 4) to establish one mechanism to strengthen exchange and communication between nature reserve management agency and nearby communities.
To effectively resolve issues in resource conservation and sustainable development, and to provide institutional environment for community participation, it is imperative to change government officers’ and staff’s ideas and attitudes at the different resource management agency level, discard their “top down” management style. The following is some attempt done in Dawei mountain national nature reserve by Southwest Forestry College during 1998 - 2000.
The key points include: 1) to change nature reserve management agency’s attitude; 2) to re-determine staff’s roles at nature reserve agency, transform from the pure patrol, implementing to supervision, instruction, advice for community development and forest management; 3) to establish community development and technical extension organization or office at the nature reserve agency; 4) to re-determine staff’s responsibility at the reserve agency where some are appointed to conduct community development and natural resources management.
The main approaches and measures taken are following: 1) to organize kinds of short term training courses in local place such as: community forestry, co-management, suitable technical training courses and so on; 2) to make more opportunities to select some people to participate meetings, workshops or study tours relative to the topic of co-management of nature reserve; 3) long term diploma course on community forestry also was developed for local foresters to improve their professional ability.
While conducting activities majored in community development and capacity building, more attention has been paid to improve or make out the current policies and regulations relative to management and protection of nature reserve and community forests resources. In instance, in Dawei mountain nature reserve, the following actions have been taken: periodical check, supervision and farmers visit and interview system was established for the reserve staff; to improve community patrols’ management system; to improve award and punish system for illegal cutting and other cases; attempt on combination of regulations of forests management among local community’s rules and country’s policies, laws and regulations relative to the reserve.
According to survey, in Honghe prefecture, at least half of nature reserves cover two or more counties, due to differences in physical, socioeconomic, cultural aspects and natural resources, there are existing famous difference either in regulations and decision making or implementation of policies and law or regulations. In instance, management system in the Dawei mountain nature reserve that covers Pingbian and Hekou two counties is different. This result not only that farmers and local communities in pingbian side produce many problems and issues, also make community patrolmen work more difficult. In order to efficiently protect the rare and endangered species and wildlife and manage the nature reserve, either one nature reserve cover two or more counties in administrative region, this reserve should be regarded as one whole, and the same polices, laws and regulations should be followed and kept coincidence. Meanwhile, communication system also needs to be established for strengthening exchanges and negotiation among reserve stations.
In order manage nature reserves and other natural resources soundly and promote community development in Yuangjiang-Honghe river watershed, Based on our case studies done both in Dawei mountain and Fenshuiling nature reserves, the following suggestions or comments are produced:
First is to conduct the trans-boundary protection. Because of special geological position and necessity of protection of biological resources in upper Yuangjiang-Honghe river watershed, while improving polices and regulations relative to nature reserves both in China and Vietnam, the project of nature reserve trans-boundary protection and community development should be made and implemented, particularly in boundary area. Investigation, researches, exchanges should be established and strengthened among research, universities and colleges in two countries.
Second is to take integrated conflict management approach. In order to maintain forest-dependent and rural communities’ benefits from forest and trees and encourage them to participate actively management of natural resources and conservation of the rare and endangered species, integrated conflict management approach should be developed in this region which includes improvement of regulations and rules in nature reserve and communities, capacity building for nature reserve management agency, provision of policy environment for community participation, community development. Meanwhile, one core coordinating group for conflict management should be established which involves all stakeholders: local resource management agencies, local governments, communities, offices of the natural resources management at provincial and prefecture level, and the third party in order to resolve various conflicts or issues in resources conservation and uses.
Thirdly, to conduct comprehensive land use plan in Buffer zone. In order to protect the rare and endangered species and wildlife, and provide a enough and suitable environment for wild plants and animals, and expansion of the nature reserve, it is important and necessary to conduct comprehensive land use plan. This comprehensive plan should include agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry, community development, community capacity buildings and so on. Meanwhile, development of communities and farmers’ needs such as fuelwood, timber requirement, fodders and so on should be given higher priorities, and provided in buffer zone, not in the nature reserve. But any single resources development oriented projects should not be allowed in this area.
1) Crowfoot, J, E. and Wondolleck. Environmental Disputes: Community Involvement in Conflict Resolution. Washington, D.C.: Island Press. 1996.
2) Lai Qingkui, Community-based Income generation and Bio-diversity Conservation: A New Challenge of Integration of Conflict Management into Forestry Policy. Proceedings of a Satellite Meeting to the XI World Forestry Congress, FAO, Rome, 1998.
3) Western D. and Wright R. M. Natural Connections: Perspectives in Community-based Conservation. Washington, D.C.: Island Press. 1994.
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