That same team of experts at the Management Bureau also identified a set of solutions that both conserve nature and preserve livelihoods.
Ecotourism
The Chinese government is putting a lot of effort into sustainable development as they try to address human needs in a way that also protects nature. The focus on developing ecotourism has been successful in increasing economic opportunity (and consequently household income levels) as well as decreasing incentives to engage in activities that degrade panda habitat, such as poaching and deforestation.
While panda tourism is generally thought to have a positive impact, there are concerns about population growth. Thus, the government is considering regulations that limit human pressure on the reserve. Another concern is economic equity, as locals involved in tourism and businesses outside the reserve gain more of the economic benefits.
Alternate livelihoods
The government is working to educate residents on how to sustainably manage the land as well as alternative forms of income to decrease reliance on the reserve’s natural resources. During an interview with a Tibetan farmer, we learned that the mindset of people living within the reserve is changing. It is no longer just about resources as people learn more about tourism, cooking, and other businesses. He said he used to obtain some income from raising yaks, but in recent years he began to grow economically valuable plants such as fungi, raise bees for honey, and teach conservation and survival courses instead.
World Wildlife Fund’s community development projects also contributing to finding ways to provide families with sustainable income while reducing their impact on the surrounding natural resources. Some of these ways include teaching how to grow mushrooms and similar plants to reduce medicinal plant harvesting, finding a wider market for locally produced goods like honey, encouraging alternative energy sources when possible such as wood-saving stoves and bio-gas from pig manure, and even providing training in sustainable logging methods.○
Photo credit:
Zhaoxue Tian
Photo credit:
Ivan Eastin
Photo credit:
Ivan EastinContract protection
This is an agreement with those living within the reserve to sustainably manage the land, and this entails both not expanding agricultural land and not cutting down trees. Before 2000, land was split into different areas, and each area was managed by a family. At one point, management of one area was broadened to multiple families, which proved effective but was disliked due to households policing each other. After 2000, people were offered monetary incentives, in the form of an annual subsidy. This helped to increase participation and proved to be much more successful. At the end of the year, if residents have met land management standards, they are each given 690 yuan. There is a total of six million yuan available in this fund.
Conservation teams
Conservation teams were established to better assess natural resources and enforce environmental protection. An expert team of 60 rangers hired by the reserve, and a supplementary community team of 120 volunteer rangers, monitor roads and paths throughout the reserve. 27 routes are used, spanning 80,000 ha. This has also been a great opportunity to educate the community on their work, get young people involved in research, and collaborate with nearby nature preserves. Conservation teams are looking for evidence of human impacts on the presence of wildlife and cutting of live trees as well as changes to quality of panda habitat and the condition of bamboo.
Photo credit:
Bret Fickes
Photo credit:
Xuehua Liu
Photo credit:
Bret FickesGiant Panda National Park
The Chinese government has also proposed a Giant Panda National Park which would span 10,476 mi2 (27133 km2). This would be large enough to allow for pandas to migrate as their bamboo habitat shifts with climate change.
nationalgeographic.com ›
Monitoring technology
After 2000, WNNR is putting more effort into scientific research and routine monitoring. Previously, the approach to managing the reserve was to address problems on a case by case basis when and where they happen. Now, in an attempt to be more forward looking, the entire reserve is being canvased using infrared and ultraviolet technology to better understand the distribution of resources, infrastructure, species, and human land use.
The Wolong Resources Management Platform project began in 2015 and covers 1162 km2. Cameras were set up to monitor animal and human activity within the reserve, and panda scat is collected to obtain further information such as age and sex. Memory cards are collected later, and the footage is uploaded to computers where it is analyzed using artificial intelligence. In 2016, eight sample areas were established based on panda usage, and 96 infrared cameras were set up that covered 436 km2 between 3500–4500 m in altitude. The second round of this project began in 2018 when a grid with 20 infrared cameras was set up in each sample area. Ecosystem monitoring also began at this time where various metrics related to weather such as temperature are taken, and a phone app was launched as well to engage citizens and decrease data input error.
Photo credit:
Edward Waisanen
Photo credit:
Pearl Zengzhu
Photo credit:
Bret FickesPolicy
There are a number of policies that have been proposed and implemented, such as:
- the National Forest Conservation Program (1999) which effectively halted all commercial logging in China,
- the Grain-to-Green Program (1999) which provided funding to promote improved habitat, and
- the Ecosystems Function Conservation Areas Program (2008) which has since provided 208 billion yuan.
However, policy needs to take into account specific human impacts that affect panda habitat. For example, policy is needed to reduce the threat from livestock because subsidies for farmland management are little compared to income from livestock.