China's two major environmental programs set examples for world: study
11/7/2008 16:55
Two environmental programs in China are generally successful, and key
reforms could transform them into a model for the rest of the world, according
to research results published this week in the US journal Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sciences.
Liu Jianguo, a scientist at Michigan State
University, is the lead researcher of the study. Liu and other scientists
reviewed China's Natural Forest Conservation and Grain to Green programs that
together represent a government investment of more than 500 billion yuan (more
than US$72 billion.)
As two of the world's largest programs, they seek to
alleviate environmental problems and offer alternative ways for people to make a
living.
Both programs also have important global implications because they
increase vegetative cover, enhance carbon sequestration and reduce dust to other
countries by controlling soil erosion.
"China has experienced many
environmental crises; the 1998 flash floods alone affected more than 200 million
people," Liu said. "This is a new way of thinking for China. They have begun to
realize the importance of dealing with environmental issues in relation to
social and economic issues, and it is paying off."
The forest conservation
program was designed to rectify the damage caused by years of unfettered
logging, which has led to soil erosion, devastation of habitat such as pandas
and other environmental problems. It uses logging bans to replace forests
through incentives to forest enterprises.
The Grain to Green program works to
convert cropland on steep slopes to forest and grassland by providing farmers
with grain and cash subsidies.
Both programs are working for the environment
and the Chinese people. Yet Liu and his colleagues pointed out that the
complexities and the scale of the programs are not without problems.
The
forest conservation program, for example, put many loggers out of work and
caused financial trouble for some small governments that rely heavily on the
industry.
The authors' recommendations are to establish endowments for the
conservation efforts, and to seek funding from industry beneficiaries such as
hydropower plants and other countries such as the United States.
They also
recommend that local governments and farmers become more involved in planning
the programs.
Overall, the authors found that the programs are landmark
efforts that reward cooperation to solve large-scale environmental problems and
consider human well-being. Continuing both programs, they say, is important, as
is using them as a model.
"Research has demonstrated that if these policies
don't continue, it's likely that a lot of the land that has returned to forest
and grassland will be converted to cropland again," Liu said. "The conservation
benefits will be lost. It is important to take a comprehensive and holistic
approach to sustaining these programs."
Xinhua
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