Energy Substitute & Natural Haloxylon Woods Protection Pilot Project |
| http://www.sina.com.cn 2005/06/30 17:32 |
Haloxylon woods zone crossing ALXA League from the west to the east is both the fleet species in the local ecological system and the natural defense holding off sandstorms. However, the area of haloxylon woods sharply decreased from 17 million hectares in 1950’s to 3 million hectares in 2001. The major factors that threaten haloxylon woods include climate changes, overgrazing and firewood consumption.
For hundreds of years, the local people have used haloxylon wood for cooking and heating, which was the most nature and reasonable choice in the past. However, since the ecological bearing capacity has been weakened continuously in recent years, firewood consumption has become a threatening factor to protection of haloxylon woods. It’s estimated that the annual firewood consumption for each family is about 10000 kg, which means the burning of haloxylon woods of 50 mu (1 mu = 1/15 of a hectare) with age of 40 years. At the meantime, burning firewood can cause air pollution, which is one of the most significant pathogenic factors in rural area, especially to women and children.
In order to protect natural haloxylon woods, control sandstorms and improve sanitary condition of local residents, ALXA SEE Ecological Association initiates a pilot project in Zhaosutaolegaigacha, Jilantai Town, ALXA. It promotes clean substitute energies, such as wind energy, solar energy and biological mass energy, so as to reduce consumption of firewood; also, it promotes participative management community management, so as to improve self-governing ability of the community.
The Association has the following purposes for this pilot project, so as to form foundation for promoting substitute energy project in wider range:
Reasonably develop substitute energies, including wind energy, solar energy and biological energy, improve energy structure in pasturing area, establish complementary energy supply system, and reduced firewood consumption;
Make energy-saving technical reconstruction for firewood burners and reduce firewood consumption for daily life;
On the basis of respecting traditional culture, cultivate the local residents to become the principals for protection of natural haloxylon woods, and establish spot protection mode for haloxylon woods;
Build a platform for volunteers, which will be the communication channel between ALXA area and the outside world.
Improving Surviving Ability of ALXA Ecological Migrants
Desertification pasture in ALXA has been worsened in recent years due to enlarged population and overgrazing. Government of ALXA area has planned the strategy of “migration and transfer, centralized development”, which will be promoted in the whole area. In Barunbieli Town of ALXA, 100 energy-saving high-efficient sunlight greenhouses will be built, which will help the 100 ecological migrant families in Helan Mountain and Tengger, when they abandon grazing, and protect desert grassland ecological system of 375 km2.
The government has discussed with ALXA SEE Ecological Association about cooperation for greenhouse project, and hoped for joint implementation of this project with capital and project operation experiences of the Association.
The resident vegetable growers transferred from nomadic herdsmen will make essential contributions to ecological environment protection; however, they will also meet various challenges during the transfer of culture, production manner and living manner.
In order to ensure the benefits of ecological migrants, and improve their surviving ability, ALXA SEE Ecological Association has decided to realize the following aims through training, community construction, etc:
Provide production manner transfer and migration for 100 herdsmen families to protect desert grassland ecological system of 375 km2;
Provide technical training to improve surviving ability of ecological migrants;
Apply participative training and management, so as to improve self-organizing ability of community;
Impact working ideas and manners of the government through project cooperation;
Reflect project feature of the Association and improve its identification in this area through implementation of projects.
