Why is it called community sustainable development project?

Since its establishment in 2004, Alashan SEE Ecological Association has carried out five projects combining ecological protection with community sustainable development in Alashan area.

The main goal of this project is to protect Haloxylon ammodendron forest and grassland, the sustainable development of ecological immigrant agricultural areas and the protection of Populus euphratica forest in Ejina Oasis. Starting with sustainable livelihood, capacity building, comprehensive community development and local cultural inheritance, this paper emphasizes improving the self-management ability within the community to ensure the effective and sustainable management and protection of community resources. This project helps the community to establish a pastoral protection mechanism, form a community-led Haloxylon ammodendron grassland protection model, and explore ways to save water resources recognized by the community in agricultural areas. During the operation of these projects, villagers' awareness of environmental protection has been enhanced, and their abilities of self-organization, self-management and self-development have been improved, laying a foundation for community management of public affairs.

The five sustainable community development projects are: Jilantai Ecological Protection and Community Development Project, Chahantan Resource Sustainable Utilization and Community Development Project, Yaobatan Ecological Agriculture and Community Development Project, West Huduge Grassland Protection and Community Development Project, and Ejina Banner Populus euphratica Cultural Ecological Diversity Protection and Community Development Project.

Taking the sustainable utilization of Chahantan resources and community development project as an example, this paper introduces the implementation means of Alashan SEE Ecological Association in the community sustainable development project.

(1) Ability training for farmers and herdsmen. In order to make the villagers in Gacha, Wu and Chahantan have a perceptual knowledge and understanding of the project operation and expand their experience, at the beginning of the project implementation, SEE Ecological Association organized farmers and herdsmen to go to the project sites of Jilan, Taishao and Sutaolege, as well as the project site of Helan Team in Gusheng Village of Guizhou Province and Yaoba Town for training in community organization capacity building, project management and community development planning, so that they could get close contact with villagers everywhere. Gradually understand the significance and methods of villagers' projects with similar living backgrounds, and share villagers' relevant experience in ecological protection projects, so that farmers and herdsmen can enhance their knowledge and understanding of the projects, improve their self-organization and management capabilities, and fully understand the necessity and importance of mutual assistance management as a social organization system. After the training, the spirit of farmers and herdsmen has taken on a new look and their enthusiasm is high.

(2) Adjust the aquaculture structure. Through breeding training, community breeding development planning, small grants and other means, villagers have formulated breeding management measures (that is, standardized breeding processes suitable for the local area), built breeding pens, and completed the purchase of cultured cattle and sheep. The CMC can uniformly understand and strictly implement various standards, and actively and smoothly promote the activities.

(3) Adjust the planting structure. Through democratic discussion and decision-making by the project management committee, planting training and micro-credit, the villagers bought seeders and high-quality seeds, obtained technical support from Zuo Qi Science and Technology Bureau, and attracted field visits by cotton processing enterprises. If cotton is planted successfully, the income will be more than doubled compared with the original corn planting, and the use of groundwater resources will be reduced by 40%. Therefore, the project is of great significance for rational utilization of groundwater resources, increasing the income of farmers and herdsmen, and developing emerging industries in Alashan Zuo Qi. In the design of a series of projects, the project owners fully respect the subjectivity of project operation, providing a platform for local herders to fully reflect their own abilities, and project operation is also a way to reflect and recognize the abilities and dignity of local people. Through the actual project operation and solving the problems, farmers and herdsmen have improved their ability of self-management and self-development planning.