First RCE Thematic Conference: Towards Achieving the SDGs 5-7 December 2017 Okayama, Japan

1. Using ESD to Foster Community-Initiated Nature Protection and
Sustainable Development:
A Case Study from Bazhu Village in Diqing TAP Yunnan China
Wan, Lu. Shangri-la Institute. Dec. 5, 20171

2. Where is Bazhu village?
2

3. Map of Nature Reserves in China
Nature Reserves Development in China
3
National Level NRs
Provincial Level NRs
City and County Level NRs

4. Local
Government
Local
Commu
nity
Nature
Reserve
Challenges faced by the Nature Reserve Management:
Dilemmas for all
Law
enforcement
Power
distributed to
many other
departments
Losing traditional
livelihood, no
longer subject to
village
conventions
Focus on short-
term economic
growth
Local
Commu
nityCommunity should be
supported to:
• enjoy the fruits of
development
• continually play an
active role in
ecological protection

5. Bazhu Village
• Close to Baima Snow-mountain NR
located in an area of 88km2
• Population of 1375 persons in 281
households
• 99% of the villagers are ethnically
Tibetan.
5

6. • 90% of the land in the Bazhu area
is covered by forest: 86,814 km2.
• Of this, about 20% of this area is
secondary forest, while 80%
consists of primitive forest.
Bazhu Village
6

7. • Tibetan Buddhism forms the central belief of the Bazhu people;
• The concept of living in harmony with nature is essential to their way of
life.
Bazhu Village
Weshang and Rain Praying ceremony at the water
source
7

8. • Many forests were
destroyed in the early 90’s
due to the problems related
to changing ownership of
forests during China’s
Forestry Reform.
• In 1996, Bazhu stopped
logging companies from
entering and saved their
forest.
Bazhu’s history in forest protection
8

9. Political aspects:
Abundant natural resources and
landscape make outside capital eager
to invest
- Villagers have little voice when facing
external pressure to develop their land.
Challenges faced by Bazhu village
Ecological aspects:
- Rise in demand for Matsutake
mushroom lead to over-acquisition,
damage to the woodland.
- Hunting and illegal logging still exist
Economic aspects:
- limited livelihood and low income
(rely on subsidies which are insufficient
to raise the living standards of the
community)
Society / Culture aspects:
- - Beliefs, indigenous knowledge and
traditional culture decline under the
influence of mainstream consumerism
- Decline of youthful population
9

10. Sustainable Matsutake mushroom
harvest training; supporting solar
water heaters and solar insecticidal
lamps; biodiversity investigations.
beekeeping training, ecotourism reception
training, handicrafts production training,
small grants for Chinese herbal medicine
cultivation; healthcare training, community
garbage disposal development.
Development of a school
curriculum about local nature and
culture heritage.
record traditional song and dance, native
plant knowledge, traditional farming and
folk songs, traditional weaving
establishment of a Community-based Protected Area, and the Community Learning
Center; supporting the All Women Patrolling Team
Five Interventions to achieve Sustainable Development in Bazhu village
Eco-protection & sustainable
management of natural
resources
Livelihood and quality of
live improvement
Traditional Culture &
Indigenous Knowledge
ESD education in School
Enhancing capacity of community self-organization
10

11. Educational Goal for Bazhu Project
11
The community as a whole should:
• Have an understanding of the
concept and principles of
sustainable development based
on knowledge and belief system;
• Maintain faith in the vision of
sustainable development
• Have the drive and ability to
participate in decision-making
to promote sustainability.

12. Multiple stakeholders Engaged in the Project
12
Bazhu Village Administrative Committee
Bazhu Village Senior Citizens Association
Bazhu Primary School
Bazhu Monastery
Bazhu Women Patrolling Team
Community-based
Organizations and Groups
RCE Greater Shangri-la:
Baima Snow-mountain Nature
Reserve
Southwest University
Sichuan Mianyang Normal
University
Tibet University
Shangri-la Vocational College
National Experts
from Chinese Academy of Sciences
Support from outside
institutions
Bazhu Community Learning Center
Bazhu Community Protected Area
Youth River-care team
Groups established under the
support of Shangri-la Institute

13. 13
Bazhu Community Learning Center: The Key to the Process of Change
The Bazhu Community Learning Center started its operations from 2007, it is equipped
with a training room, library, dining room, and few dorm rooms.

14. Functions of the Community Learning
Center:
• A place for workshops, meetings,
events, and other community
activities.
• A forum for community members to
communicate and discuss community
affairs.
• A window to show the nature and
cultural heritage of Bazhu to visitors.
• A “museum” to record indigenous
knowledge and the community’s
nature protection work and
development towards sustainability.
Bazhu Community Learning Center: The Key to the process of Change
14

15. 15
Young community leaders in Community Learning Center:
Elected by villagers, and responsible for maintenance of the center. These leaders also
play a important role in coordinating community members in project design and
implementation.

16. 16
Examples of work done by Bazhu Community Learning Center
Tibetan embroidery workshop for women

17. 17
Examples of work done by Bazhu Community Learning Center
Kids from Bazhu Primary School carrying out a watershed investigation at the bank of
the Bazhu River and water testing in the Community Learning Center.

18. 18
Examples of work done by Bazhu Community Learning Center
Recording of local Biodiversity (setting up infrared cameras in the wood, with NR staff)

19. 19
Recording of Guozhuang Dance, songs and ballad
Examples of work done by Bazhu Community Learning Center

20. 20
Traditional farming tools and supplies exhibition
Examples of work done by Bazhu Community Learning Center

21. Community Learning Center developed as a mechanism to support community-based learning
and action towards Sustainable Development; Forest patrolling strengthened; development of
the community-based nature protection mechanism: Bazhu Community Protected Area;
Indigenous knowledge including
traditional farming skills, Pulu weaving
and Guozhuang dancing and recorded
and introduced to young members and
visitors.
Youth River-care team established; Bazhu River,
forests, traditional culture and the village itself
becomes content of kids daily learning for them
to understand about their village,
environmental protection and sustainable
development; Young people come back to their
village and take volunteering work in the
Community Learning Center.
Economic income greatly increased; Awareness
and knowledge of women’ healthcare promoted;
Garbage collection established;
Biodiversity of Bazhu recorded;
Mechanism of sustainable matsutake
collection is established in two pilot
villages; illegal logging and hunting
greatly decreased; Wet wood
consumption reduced.
Eco-protection & natural
resources sustainable
management
Livelihood and quality of
live improvement
Traditional Culture &
Indigenous Knowledge
ESD education in School
Enhancing capacity of community self-organization
21

22. • The average economic income in Bazhu increased from RMB 750 (USD 113) per
capita in 2005 to RMB 3840 (USD 581) in 2011.
• Nearly 60% of the increased income is from national subsidies especially subsidies
for ecological protection forest.
• More than 40% of increased income is generated from eco-tourism, Chinese herbal
medicine planting, bee-keeping and eco-farming which was carried under the
support from the project 22

23. 23
• The drought in 2010 hit a wide range of Yunnan Province, resulting 7.42 million
people and 4.59 million large livestock in the province suffered from shortage of
drinking water.
• Although Diqing Prefecture was not one of the most serious affected areas, but
many villages located at mountainside just like Bazhu village experienced severe
water shortage.

24. 24
Three innovations that ESD theories had built to the
community development and eco-protection work
I. Learning at three levels:
Individual level: individual social
learning and practices;
Institutional level: collective
empowerment to build a long-term
mechanism in the community;
Social level: broader social
promotion and scaling up to a broad
range of communities.
II. Drawing wisdom from
indigenous knowledge, believe
system and traditional culture
Concentrate on the
methodology of combining
modern science and technology
with traditional knowledge and
practice to realize new
knowledge, skills and ecological
ethics for sustainability.
III. Holistic approach:
support the community to solve problems of different aspects rather than
focusing one aspect, as all these issues are linked.

25. Local
Government
Local
Commu
nity
Nature
Reserve
Local
Commu
nity
Nature
Reserve
Local
Government
Thank you for your
attention!
Lwan@shangrilainstitute.org
www.shangrilainstitute.org