by Mariah Ford, Greengrants intern
Chinese environmental policy has come a long way since Mao declared that man must “conquer nature and thus attain freedom from nature.” Over the last decade, China has witnessed a huge increase in its environmental organizations, which have attracted thousands of members. By promoting environmental goals and fostering a broad network among citizens, Chinese environmental groups have also become an important part of a developing civil society in China, thereby quietly encouraging political reform.
The growth in environmental awareness has not been evenly distributed throughout the country, however. Some areas, such as Xinjiang province in the far northwestern corner of China, are vastly underrepresented in terms of environmental advocacy. Xinjiang is home to numerous minority ethnic groups of China, such as the Uyghurs, Kazakhs and Huis. However, over the last fifty years the percentage of Han Chinese has increased almost tenfold, as people have migrated from eastern China to the western regions. In addition to experiencing rapid population growth, Xinjiang is also victim in other ways to China’s Western Development strategy, which attempted to shift the heavy environmental pressures from Eastern China to the interior. As a result, Xinjiang has suffered from increasing use of water and forest resources, and various types of pollution.
In an attempt to raise public awareness and increase environmental efforts in Xinjiang, the Xinjiang Conservation Fund (XCF) was established in late 2001 with initial funding from Greengrants. XCF is a non-governmental organization committed to developing local environmental organizations, seeking solutions to environmental problems and advocating for disadvantaged communities. In order to achieve these goals, XCF has launched numerous activities to encourage increased environmental awareness.
For example, XCF has published several newsletters and booklets regarding issues pertaining to the ecology and endangered species of the area. It also helps fund research and conservation efforts for several important habitat areas, such as the Kanas Nature Reserve and the Tarim Basin, and endangered species such as the snow leopard, the wild swan, and the Xinjiang salamander.
Perhaps the best known endangered species in Xinjiang is the snow leopard. Every year between twenty and thirty snow leopards are illegally killed in Xinjiang. In cooperation with the International Snow Leopard Trust (ISLT) and Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, XCF has been involved with research of the snow leopardís habitat in the Xinjiang Mountains. It is also working with WWF-China to investigate the trade of snow leopard products. In addition to research efforts, XCF has also published information regarding snow leopard conservation and works to increase local awareness of the problem.
In 2004 XCF received funding from Greengrants specifically for Black-necked Crane conservation efforts. There are only five to six thousand Black-necked Cranes remaining in the world. This number continues to decrease as their breeding and wintering habitats are destroyed and threatened. Black-necked Cranes breed in a small area of eastern Xinjiang, in addition to the neighboring regions of Tibet and Qinghai.
In addition to working directly on environmental issues, XCF has also greatly contributed to the environmental effort in Xinjiang by encouraging and funding smaller organizations and university student groups. Many of these student organizations use their micro-grants from XCF to purchase environmental books and materials. These “Green Bookshelf” projects allow interested students to learn more about a variety of environmental causes. This in turn encourages students to become more involved in civil society in general.
In an attempt to reach out to other individuals, XCF has organized numerous lectures and forums in both Xinjiang and Beijing. These offer environmental organizations and experts a platform to voice their knowledge and opinions. These discussions also enhance public awareness of environmental problems, specifically those facing Xinjiang. With another grant from Greengrants, XCF created the website www.greenxinjiang.org in order to facilitate the exchange of information and organization of activities between people throughout Xinjiang and China.
Xinjiang Conservation Fund has also supported, funded, and organized numerous projects and events to encourage participation in environmental efforts. It has published newsletters and pamphlets, and organized speakers and forums to exchange ideas and address a wide variety of issues. It encourages children, students, and the general population of Xinjiang to become better informed about the environmental issues that face their province. It has also supported research and conservation efforts for several endangered species and their habitats. And it has done all of this in one of the most remote areas of China, overcoming numerous obstacles, such as communication with numerous ethnic groups and the sheer size of the province it represents.