Partners working for the Yangtze
Working together for the Yangtze River
China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development
The China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED) is a high-level advocacy body of the Chinese central government.In March 2003, the CCICED launched a Task Force on Integrated River Basin Management (IBRM) which will provide policy recommendations to leaders of China's State Council on the integrated management of the Yangtze River basin. The Task Force's overall objective is to promote the public welfare of river basins in China through better governance of water resources, ecosystem management, biodiversity conservation, and to promote river basin environment management through information sharing, demonstration and public participation. It consists of 12 prominent freshwater experts, 6 from China and 6 from international institutions.
Wetland Division, State Forestry Administration of China
WWF-China's Partnership for a Living Yangtze programme has worked closely with the State Forestry Administration since 1998, even before the launch of the Yangtze programme. This is the main government authority responsible for the management of wetlands and also the Implementing Office for the Ramsar Convention. The local forestry department in Central Yangtze is also actively involved in demonstration, magnification and communication activities.
Mountain, River and Lake Management (MRL), Jiangxi Province
WWF-China's Living Yangtze programme established a partnership with the MRL in 2001. MRL is a province-level coordination agency on mountain, river and lake integrated management in Jiangxi province. Presently, the 2 organisations are working closely on the Poyang Lake IRBM demonstration.
Hanshou County Government of Hunan Province
Hanshou is located in the West Dongting Lake area where WWF has 3 demonstration sites. Accordingly, the Hanshou County Government of Hunan Province has been a key partner since 1999.
With the County Government, the WWF-China Partnership for a Living Yangtze Programme has been focusing on wetland and landscape restoration, developing alternative livelihoods for local communities, ecotourism development, bio-gas development and capacity building for the West Dongting Lake Nature Reserve.
Sun & Soil Organic Food Co Ltd.
A partnership was established with Sun & Soil Organic Food Co Ltd. in 2003 to market the organic food produced by farmers in Xipanshanzou Polder. This is a pilot site where farmers have voluntarily opted to restore the wetlands in order to establish organic fishing and hill-based organic farming of vegetables, oranges and tea among others.
East Dongting National Nature Reserve
East Dongting Lake, situated on the southern side of the middle Yangtze River, covers an area of 190,000ha.
The East Dongting Nature Reserve was established in 1984 and designated as a Ramsar site in 1992. It is one of the most important wintering spots for birds in Asia.
Besides capacity building and some community co-management projects on cranes protection, the managers of the Nature Reserve and WWF have, since 2002, jointly organised an annual bird-watching contest to promote ecotourism in the area.
West Dongting Nature Reserve
West Dongting Nature Reserve was established in 1998 and listed as a Ramsar site in 2002. WWF became involved in wetland restoration in West Dongting Lake in 1999 and has successfully restored a wetland of 110ha in Qingshan Polder in Hanshou County . Since 2000, thousands of waterfowl including swans and cranes have returned to this converted polder.
Yuanjiang Municipal Government of Hunan Province
Yuangjiang is located in the South Dongting Lake area where WWF has a demonstration project on flood-adapt ed farming. With the support of the Yangjiang Municipal Government, local farmers in Xipanshanzhou Polder have diversified to flood-adapted farming as an alternative livelihood after their farmlands were returned to the lake in 1999.
They now engage in duck breeding and floating-cage fishing. According to the statistics, on average each household has been able to double its income from the restored wetlands. Currently, WWF and the Yuanjiang Government are helping local communities develop organic agriculture and ecotourism products based on activities in the restored-wetland.
Tourism Bureau of Changde City Tourism Bureau of Hangshou City
WWF and the Tourism Bureau of Hanshou have been working in close collaboration in the development of a ecotourism master plan for West Dongting lake area. The plan is close to being finalised and will soon be implemented .
A dragon boat festival is one of the new initiatives being supported. The festival is expected to publicise a new boating route to be established in tandem with a community-based homestay programme. In support of these efforts, the local government has made a commitment to clear illegal fishing nets on the lake and tributaries and open some of the dykes in the area .
WWF and the Changsha University of Science and Technology have jointly organised a W etland Ambassador Campaign since 2001. Each year student volunteers from the university conduct household studies in the wetland areas to help evaluate the social, economic and environmental impact of WWF demonstration projects .
Yangtze Fishery Administrative Committee
In December 2003, a partnership agreement was signed with the Yangtze Fishery Administrative Committee to promote aquatic wildlife conservation.
The Yangtze Fishery Administrative Committee is in charge of Yangtze aquatic wildlife management, implementing related regulations, monitoring and evaluating fishery resources, and aquatic reserve establishment.
The agreement establishes a strategic partnership between the 2 organisations to strengthen the conservation of aquatic wildlife in the Yangtze basin and aid in the recovery of the Yangtze River basin as a whole. The agreement includes:
- cooperation for disseminating the idea of the Living Yangtze and Restoring the web of life in the Yangtze;
- implementing research and study on the situation of aquatic wildlife;
- improving the system for monitoring aquatic wildlife in the Yangtze River basin;
- evaluating and studying the dams' impact on aquatic wildlife;
- studying and demonstrating sustainable fishery in disconnected lakes in the Yangtze River basin;
- re-linking the disconnected lakes to the Yangtze and developing the progress of Lake-River Fry Introduction;
- promoting the establishment of state policy on the protection of the aquatic wildlife in the Yangtze basin; implementing the fish ban and developing fishermen's alternative livelihood;
- decreasing over-fishing and enhancing the protection of endangered species in the Yangtze basin.
