The Tale of the Golden Deer

The old folk of Xishuangbanna often say that this breathtaking and bountiful place was discovered by accident several thousand years ago by hunters chasing a golden deer. The place, said to be the present-day Xishuangbanna, abounded in grain and the population increased.

This legend with its many variations is a popular one in the prefecture. Its theme is always of a people who love their homeland and describe it as a splendid place rich in water and soil, which yields abundantly.

The Xishuangbanna Dai Nationality Autonomous Prefecture, situated in China's far southwest, embraces Jinghong, Menghai and Mengla counties of Yunnan Province, an area of 19,112.5 square kilometers. The name Xishuangbanna comes from the Dai language (it means 12,000 rice fields), describing the dominant land use system in former times. The southwest border is with Burma, while on the southeast its mountains and rivers link with those of Laos. The combined boundary length with these two countries is 966.3 kilometers.

In Xishuangbanna, the main water basin is the Lancang River (Mekong River) coming from Tibet.

Xishuangbanna is located between 21°10′and 23°40′degrees latitude, and between 99°55′and 101°50′ degrees longitude. The Wuliangshan Mountains that lie to its north and part of the Nushan Mountains serve as a screen against cold north winds. To the south, the adjacent Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal from which southwest monsoons arise, and the river network and basins, none of which are high, contribute to a warm, wet climate. Temperature variations throughout the year are very small, but great within one day. Average yearly temperature is around 21℃, rainfall about 1,400 mm. in most places. There is no sharp division between the four seasons, only that between the dry season and the wet. The monsoons usually last from Mayethrough to October, the dry season from November to the following April. But the aridity of the latter is partly compensated by damp fogs that descend over the entire region, giving rise to the term 'dry season without drought'.

According to LAMPRECHT (1989) the forests in Xishuangbanna can be classified as Tropical Evergreen Forest (<800m above sea level), Tropical Semi-evergreen Forest (800-1200m) and Evergreen Montane Forest (>1200m). LI & WALKER (1986) classify the forests in Xishuangbanna asTropical Evergreen Forest, Tropical Semi-evergreen Forest and Subtropical Evergreen Broad-leaved Forest. Dipterocarp species with Parashorea chinensis dominate the lower elevations as they do in other southeast Asian countries, Moraceae are the key species in the Tropical Semi-evergreen Forest as in the Monsoon forests of India and Indochina, and Fagaceae are the main group at higher altitudes. All types of forests can be found within a small area due to microclimatic conditions. Beside that, temperate forests with Alnus nepalensis and Pinus Kesiya as well as Bamboo forests occur locally.

Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve consists of five small reserves, and its area is 2679 square kilometers (including Nabanhe Nature Reserve -- 261 square kilometers). It is distributed over Jinghong, Menghai, and Mengla. The forests are

rather disturbed and fragmented but still important. Unfortunately, recent scientific studies have demonstrated the devastating effect

of previous government policies on land use; the tropical rainforest areas of Hainan and Xishuangbanna are now as acutely endangered as similar rainforest areas elsewhere on the planet.

Ethnic minorities

Within the nature reserve there are more than ten cultural minorities (people) living. Dai, Aini, Jinuo, Bulang, Yao, Miao, Lahu, Yi, andJingpo etc. The cultural diversity of local minorities was as rich as the bio-diversity of the rain forests here, but the richness has been reduced in recent years, mainly because of economic effects, nothing remaining untouched by the penetration of modern civilization. Even in villages which are off the beaten track, you can see posters of movie stars from both China and America decorating walls of houses.

The following chapter describes the five main minorities in Xishuangbanna.

Dai

Of all the minorities, Dai people their culture more integrated than any other in Xishuangbanna in terms of cultural distinction. The Dai language, both spoken and written contribute to their cultural integrity.

HistoryDai is a self-adopted name, which means "freedom" or "people". It is said that as

far back as the Stone Age, the ancestors of the Dai already lived in what is today Yunnan, Guangxi, Sichuan, parts of Guizhou and Laos, the North of Thailand, Burma, and India's Assam area. They later migrated southwest. Dai people were said to be the earliest ethnic group to use ploughs and to cultivate rice, and also the earliest one to come and settle in Xishuangbanna. Cultivation

Dai people usually live on plains or in valleys where near by the river, the soil is more fertile, irrigation is convenient, the climate is also warmer. They grow rice, tropical plants and other cash crops, which have contributed to the higher standard of living of the Dai.

Religion After the 10th century, Hinayana Buddhism gradually spread into the Dai regions,

and by the 15th - 16th century, most Dais were already followers of Hinayana Buddhism. But at the same time, they still retained vestiges of primitive religions in that they believed in natural spirits and worshipped many gods.

Customs and Rituals Tooth capping, tooth dyeing, and body-tattooing are Dai customs. The

young people especially like to use gold and silver to cap their front teeth. Girls start to dye their teeth in their teens, mixing soot from pots and pans with Chinese herbal medicine for a dye. The Dai believe that black is beautiful as far as teeth are concerned. The tattooing customs are mainly applicable to the men, with the patterns including geometrical ones, birds and animals, flowers, and words and symbols. Girls do not admire men without tattoos.

The Dai calendar was initiated in the year A. D. 639 and the Dai New Year falls usually in April of the Western calendar. Dragon boat races take place on New Year's Eve, and New Year Day sees the well-known Water-Splashing Festival when people say their prayers at the temples, then proceed to spray water at each other, accompanied by singing and dancing. The festival moves from village to village throughout the region with people following for three days.

EducationOf the minorities in Xishuangbanna, Dai people are the wealthiest. But most of

Dai don't attach much importance to their children's education; they are more business oriented. From their conception of education about men, as long as the education he gets is enough to start a business, there is no need for further education. As for women, if they can be a good housewife, that's knowledge enough. So, in those Dai villages, which have been visited during the last year, it's rare to find girls who have finished their primary education. As the teaching language in all schools is mandarin.

Aini

Aini, Aka, Haoni, Heini, etc. are all self-appellations of the Hani of different areas. The sound and meaning are similar. Hao, Hei or He is a prefix for animals and birds, while "Ni" means human or female. So, Hani, Haoni, Heini and Heni mean human in the Hani language. Hani have no written language.

HistoryThe Hani, like the Yi and Lahu, originated from the Qiang people. The Qiangs

were originally herdsmen living on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, who gradually moved south. From the analysis of historical records and the Hanna's own folklore, it seems that the ancestors ofthe Hanna were already living in the Annie River districts and the marshlands east of the Along River as well as the southern banks of today's Sichuan Daddy River, in Sichuan where the Dad and Joint Rivers met by the 3rd century B. C. They later split into two groups and migrated further south. One went from western Sichuan, past Kunming to Southeast Yunnan's Liuzhao Mountain area. The other group went from Northwest Yunnan, passed flatland surrounding Dali's Erhai Lake, and pushed further south to the Ailao and Wuliang Mountain regions.

They finally reached Xishuangbanna and other areas at the southern tip of Yunnan.

ReligionAini people practice ancestor worship, believe in polytheism and primitive

objects. The position of chief who conducts village-wide religious activities is hereditary, passing from father to son. The sorcerer and sorceress, called beima and nima, are handed down from teacher to apprentice. Beimas are male sorcerers who recite prayers to exorcise devils, and conduct other superstitious activities related to the dead. Nimas can be males or females, and they serve as soothsayers and witch doctors. In the past, when someone gave birth to twins, babies with abnormal numbers of fingers or toes, or those in someway handicapped, these babies were regarded as unlucky objects which would bring disasters. Christianity was introduced to the Aini population in the 1920s, and Buddhism also spread in, but both religions have had few converts and thus have exerted little influence.

Customs and RitualsThe Hani regard the tenth month of the lunar calendar as the first month, and the New Year Festival lasts 5--6 days or sometimes up to 2 weeks. In some areas, when Aini people need to choose a gravesite, they roll an egg on the ground. They dig and bury the corpse wherever the egg breaks.

EducationGenerally speaking, Aini people are very concerned about education. It does not matter how financially poor they are, they always work very hard to support their children's education. And girls have the same opportunities as boys to go to school. Aini people had no written language. The post-1949 project for an Aini phonetic script has not been popular.

Bulang

Bulang is the name adopted by the Bulang who live in Yunnan Province's Xishuangbanna. The Bulang people who live in other districts call themselves Alwa, Wu, or Wenggong. Bulang people don't have their own script but some use those of the Han and Dai languages.

History The Bulang were referred to as the Ailao in the historical annals of the Han

Dynasty of more than 2000 years ago and were ruled by the ancestors of the Yi, Bai, Dai, and other ethnic groups, and formerly lived together with the Hani. As such, they are likely to be related by blood relationship to these ethnic groups.

ReligionThe Bulang once believed in primitive religions. In the last 200 years, the Dai

feudal lords sent monks to these areas who introduced Hinayana Buddhism that

spread among all the people. However, their basic beliefs in their primitive religion are still strong. They believe in various gods and spirits, and also practice worship of ancestral, ethnic and family gods.

Customs and RitualsThe Bulang men of Xishuangbanna often live with the wife's family. Divorces

are also liberally given in these regions. Those in Xishuangbanna do not have family names, and the daughter's given name is always followed by her mother's given name. Such customs show the vestiges of matriarchal society.

The Bulang live in bamboo two-story houses, which use wooden poles as, pillars. The roof has a double-inverse-V shape and a wooden ladder provides access to the balcony on which stand thick bamboo tubes filled with water.

The Bulang males tattoo their thighs, arms, chests, and backs with many different geometric patterns, animal and bird motifs, and the Dai script. The tattooing process employs a thin 4-inch long awl, which is heated and used to mark the skin, after which charcoal ash and gall of snake, fish, and dog are smeared on the marked section. The pricked portion is swollen and painful for 2--3 days before it heals. In the past, men who didn't spend time in a monastery or wear tattoos were not allowed to marry.

EducationBulang people's education level is not encouragingly high. Their poor economic

situation might be the main reason that effects their educational level. In one Bulang village that has been visited, no one has finished secondary education.

Jinuo

"Jinuo" is a word used by the people themselves and it means "Descendants of uncle" or "ethnic group which respects the uncle" (On the mother's side). The Jinuo do not have their own script, and have depended in the past on carving wood and bamboo to record numbers and events.

HistoryIn the history annals, there are sporadic mentions of the Jinuo people only after

the early Qing Dynasty. Their own legend goes that they came from the north from Pu'er, Mojiang or places even further away. When the Jinuo reached the Jinuo Mountain district they first lived on mountain ridges. They used tree leaves and animal skins as clothing and led a hard life of hunting and food gathering. They later switched to dry rice farming for their livelihood.

The Jinuo were probably still a matriarchal society when they first inhabited the Jinuo Mountain district. There were two pairs of villages at the beginning, each consisting of two clans, which could intermarry. One pair later developed into more than ten smaller villages, and this constituted what is commonly called the "Former

Mountain of the Jinuo Mountain" district, while the other pair grew into nine daughter villages that formed the "After Mountain" settlement.

The fact that the son's name should always be followed by that of the father, shows that three centuries ago when the first village was formed, the Jinuo had already moved from a matriarchal to a patriarchal society.

ReligionTheir religion is primitive. They believe that spirits dwell in all things and

practice ancestor worship.

Customs and RitualsThe people have a unique form of tooth painting with the soot from pear tree

branches. The limbs are burntin a bamboo tube until the soot sticks on the iron cover plate of the tube as a shiny black paint. Tooth painting is also used to express mutual admiration and respect. When young couples gather, a girl brings the sooted plate to the young man she fancies, and asks him to perform tooth-painting. This custom, however, is not widely practiced nowadays.

Lahu

Lahu is a name used by the nationality. Its original meaning in their language is 'barbecued tiger meat'. Other Lahu self-designations include Lahu Na (Black Lahu), Lahu Xi (Yellow Lahu) and Lahu Pu (White Lahu).

HistoryThe Lahu trace their origin to the Qiang tribal group from Northwest China.

From the 2-century B. C. to the 3-century A. D., the ancestors of the Lahu and some Qiang-speaking people populated the area south of the Jinsha River down to the Lake Erhai, in the western part of Yunnan. After the 10-century A. D., these ancestors of the Lahu migrated south on a large scale. They divided into two: the eastern route was taken by the Lahu Xi and the Lahu Pu peoples who migrated along Ailao Mountain, and settled at the area between Jindong, Pu'er and Yuanjiang. And the western route was taken by the Lahu Na, who crossed the Lancang River and reached Lincang County.

The Lahu undertook another move southwards in the 1730s. The eastern path took them along the Yuanjiang River reaching the Honghe River and Jinping County; the western route followed the Lancang River down to Lancang County and its neighboring regions. The people then settled where they are found today. Religion

The Lahu mainly practiced primitive religion before 1949, and they had many gods. Buddhism entered during the latter part of the 17-century and became widespread. After 1921, Protestantism and Catholicism were introduced. Now a small percentage of Lahu living in some villages of Lancang and Lincang County

practice Christianity.

Customs Polygamy is not permitted by traditional custom. After marriage the male lives in

the bride's home, and the family takes on the mother's name. But, most of the regions have patrilineal families, although the male still has to bring along working tools to the bride's home on the wedding night. All Lahu, men and women used to shave their heads.

Land-use pattern of native minorities of

Xishuangbanna

In Xishuangbanna, since 1983, when Land Tenure Reform was implemented, the land use pattern in most cases was characterized by three major elements: community forests, rice paddy, and fallow land. The land allotted to each village differs from place to place, e.g. those people who live in the basin area got relatively small areas of fallow land; and those who live in the uplands, got more fallow land, e.g. the Aini, Lahu. 1. Community forest. The original function included watershed protection, provision of timber, fuel wood, and non-timber products. After the community forests had been divided up, due to the influence of economic development, farmers began to clear large areas of community forests, sell the wood, then replace it with rubber, sugar cane, coffee, and tea, etc. 2. Rice paddy. The agriculture of the farmers in Xishuangbanna, is usually rice-based, especially the Dai people who have a history of planting double crops of rice. Due to economic development (low price for rice, high labor input) the farmers often abandoned the second crop. Instead, after the first rice harvest, they plant watermelon, green pepper, or some other cash crops in the paddy fields, because this provides a higher income. 3. Fallow land. Most fallow land is now occupied by tea, or up-land rice inter-cropped with corn, soybean or cash crops (e.g. passionflower). Along with a rapid increase in the population during recent years, the shifting period has become shorter and shorter, and the fertility of soil became poorer and poorer.

In Xishuangbanna there are more than ten minorities living in or around the nature reserve area. They have different economic situations, different dwelling places, and educational levels; therefore, their land-use patterns and the degree of dependence on the forests differ from place to place. For example, Dai people have more rice paddy as they live mainly in the basin area, their agriculture is rice-based, they have more access to the market, compared to other minorities who live in the uplands. Because of the good economic situation of the Dai, house building is partly

done using concrete and bricks. They also have a long history of planting Siamese Senna (Cassia siamea) as the source of fuel wood, so they do not depend on the forest resources for fuel wood as much as other minority groups do. What Dai people get from forests and sell on the markets are mainly non-timber products, such as mushroom, wild vegetable, and medicinal plants.

Lahu and Bulang people, who used to be hunting tribes and whose dwelling places are very remote, often high in the mountains, have a far more difficult economic situation than the Dai, Their farming systems are subsistence-oriented. They have less rice paddy and more fallow land; they usually plant soybean, peanut, and corn in their fallow land, all in very small plots. They don't know what kind of cash crops with high yields and higher economical output to plant because they have no access to information concerning this matter. Shifting cultivation is widely practiced by those people. The degree of dependence on the forest is much higher than the Dai, mostly for fuel wood (they do not plant any fuel wood), and construction material.

Aini people's land-use pattern is somewhere between Dais' and Lahus'. Their dwelling places are mostly halfway up the mountains. They don't live high up the mountain, nor in the valley. In recent years, they have had more access to the markets than Lahu and Bulang do.

As we all know shifting cultivation was not at all a problem a hundred years ago. But, due to political reasons (e.g. In the early 1950s), a huge immigration group rushed down from Hunan province and Shanghai City to Yunnan province, they started rubber plantation to support the development of border areas. This caused severe destruction of the tropical forests in Xishuangbanna. As well as the dramatic economical development in recent years, the population has grown rapidly in China, especially in rural areas. So, the agriculture and the forest in Xishuangbanna are facing a bleak future.

Problems

Various reasons led to several problems concerning forest and agriculture. They are similar to the problems in other tropical regions. Xishuangbanna today faces severe forest degradation. The following table shows this process of forest degradation. (APEL, 1994). Table 1

This deforestation firstly affects the forest-users, especially the farmers. Their livelihood depends on forest services (e.g. to maintain soil fertility) and forest products (timber, fire wood etc). There is now a shortage of timber for house construction, game becomes rare, soil erosion develops on steep slopes. Besides these there are other reasons to protect the forests of Xishuangbanna.

In Xishuangbanna the special location of the forest makes it more vulnerable than forests in other parts of the Tropics. The tropical forest here is the most northern tropical forest in the world. It is widely assumed that this tropical forest builds up its own specific microclimate that enables tropical species to grow. Once the forest cover is removed, it will result in a drier climate, which will not allow tropical vegetation to develop again. So it is important to preserve the Tropical Forest. This situation can be compared to the Savanna / Forest Boundary in Africa or elsewhere, where a vegetation change will cause a climatic change which will again influence vegetation growth. Moreover the forest is an important watershed area for the Mekong (Lancang River) and therefore can prevent severe flooding in Laos or Thailand.

The forest in Xishuangbanna houses many plant and animal species. The biodiversity is one of the highest in China. To maintain this the forest must be protected from further destruction.

In order to preserve the forest the causes of deforestation must be analyzed and tackled.

As in other Tropical regions the current land-use systems determine the state and condition of the forest cover. Land-use patterns are influenced by different factors, including ecological, economical, social, political and educational conditions. Due to the great differences within Xishuangbanna of these factors, the causes are different from site to site. Some main causes are:* Population Growth (also triggered by migration into Xishuangbanna)* Overuse of forest * Shortage of Land for agriculture* Extensive Land-use for cash-crops (rubber plantation, sugar cane)* Discouraging Policy for Community Forests

There are two main ways of protecting forest. Either human activity is excluded from the forest (Nature Reserves) or they are included through sustainable land-use. Both ways are important.

Protection of Natural Forests in Xishuangbanna

A special project is launched to protect the tropical forests in Xishuangbana.The project contents the following major components:1. To stop logging in the 10 forestry farms in Xishuangbanna since September 10,

1998.2. To develop 3.33 million mu of forests as commonweal forest from 1998 to

2010 ( including establishing 119,800,000 mu through reforestation, 103,800,00 mu through mountain closure, and 109,700,00 mu through natural regeneration with

artificial fostering. ) and establish 1.197 million mu as forest for commercial timber production.

3. To execute strict protection of the 15,730,000 mu of natural forests in the Prefecture.

4. To change the production line of a group of major forestry enterprises in Xishuangbanna and support them to channel economic diversification.

5. To reduce the fallow land of the prefecture from 3,200,000 mu in 1999 down to 2,000,000 mu by 2010; To set up or improve the agricultural facility including irrigation, paddy field, and terraced farm land for a group of mountainous villages within a period of five years.

6. To clear the state forests of the illegal settlements and reclamation in the whole prefecture.

With the implementation of these activities, by 2010 the common weal forest would take up 75% of forests in the prefecture. There would be an increase of 4,560,000 mu in the coverage of the forestland. The forest coverage of the prefecture would grow up to 74.99% from 63.68%. At the same time, the conservation of the tropical forests and bio-diversity in Xishuangbanna will be improved.

Biodiversity utilization of ethnic minorities

Owing to it's special geographic location and unique climate condition, Xishuangbanna, which only occupies 0.2% area of China, contains 4669 plant species (more than 16% of whole country's) and 2167 animal species (more than 23% of whole country's, more details in the table below). As well as the high rate of fauna and flora in Xishuangbanna, the ethnic diversity here is also outstanding. The 14 ethnic minorities all have a long history of inhabiting harmoniously with the forest, they possess rich knowledge on biodiversity utilization. Although the utilization pattern of natural resources differs from minority to minority, roles of men and women in utilizing natural resources are also distinct, the most important natural resources for them are almost same: timber and firewood. Besides timber and firewood, other natural resources like wild vegetables, wild fruit, herbal medicines, game and fish have also been used by them from generation to generation, especially when food and medicines are in short supply. It is incredible that inJinghong market alone, we found up to 80 species of wild plants that can be used as vegetables (according to the market survey in Jinghong, Luo Aidong, unpubl.). Table 2

ItemClassification

China XishuangbannaSpecies No. In the world (%) In China (%) In Yunna (%)

Mammal 514 102 2.6 19.8 37.2

bird 1186 427 4.7 36.0 39.8

Reptile 376 63 1.0 16.8 43.4

Amphibia 279 38 0.9 13.6 41.3

Fish 2804 100 0.5 3.6 27.3

Insect 40000 1437 0.2 3.6 14.4

Fern 2600 262 2.6 10.0 23.8

Gymnospermae 210 52 6.9 24.8 55.9

Angiospermae 25000 3838 17.4 15.4 35.7

source: China biodiversity conservation, 1998.

Commodities

Timber and firewood All minorities are still heavily dependent on timber and firewood from natural

stands. In Mengla county larger areas of Cassia siamea can be found which are planted for firewood. However, these plantations generally hardly cover the needs of the respective communities. In altitudes above 1,000m Cassia is not performing very well anymore and could probably be replaced by Alnus nepalensis (Apel, pers. Comm, 1998). Community forests are still the most important sources for firewood. Cutting of trees is predominantly done by men, whereas women and children collect smaller pieces of dead wood. In the experimental zones of the reserves people are allowed to utilize dead trees, which results in girdling of trees which are favored as firewood. Families with important firewood species comprise Myrtaceae, Guttiferae and Fagaceas. However, easy access to firewood is regarded as more important than high quality firewood. This preference is reflected in the distribution pattern of firewood trees in community forests. Good quality trees are depleted near settlements, whereas they are still common at some distance, since villagers would rather switch to lower quality trees than to transport the wood over long distances. In almost all households, open fireplaces are in use, which are furnished with fire all day. Demand of firewood for such open fireplaces is about 10 to 15kg per day. Particularly in Manggao Subreserve more and more houses are built of bricks instead of wood. The firewood requirement to produce an average-sized Dai house was said to be five handle tractors of cut wood. On the other hand, the demand for timber for construction will decrease, at least on the subsistence level.

BambooBamboo plays an important role, e.g. as construction material for many purposes,

and is widely planted around villages and in communal forests. Planted bamboo is absent in only two of the surveyed communities, of Yao and Aini in Mengla Subreserve, these are still surrounded by forest with open patches where sufficient supply of bamboo can be obtained. Due to its relatively fast growth and the habit of planting it around villages, it belongs to the few resources, which still seem to be utilized in a sustainable way. At least 16 different species are regularly utilized for all kinds of light construction, for fences baskets, as containers, as torches, brooms and

as food (Apel, 1996 and this survey, following Table) The market value of most bamboo is not very high. However, for shoots of

Indosasa hispida, 1.5 to 4 RMB are paid per piece. For larger species like Schizostachyum funghonii there is a moderate demand for production of chopsticks and furniture. Some smaller species like Indosasa singulispicula were not found to be cultivated, but are collected from the forest when the need arises (Aini, Yao). Harvesting of larger species is done by men, whereas smaller species and edible shoots are often collected by women (Dai, Aini, Yao, Kami, Lahu). Weaving of baskets was also observed to be predominantly women's work (Dai, Aini, Yao, Miao) whereas construction is commonly done by men (Dai, Yao).

Commonly used bamboo species in the 10 surveyed villages

Wild fruits and vegetables

Wild fruits and vegetables collected from the forest and also from degraded areas, fallows and wet lands, are an important food supplement for some of the minorities which still commonly gather biological resources (Miao, Kami, Yao and Aini in Mengla, Lahu). Even for the Dai and Aini with their often extensive vegetable gardens, wild species still play a role in their diet. Some species that are native in Xishuangbanna are regularly under cultivation, like for example Acacia pennata, Ficus spp., Canarium spp, or Mayodendronigneum. A few of these species are also sold in the market and are regularly offered in restaurants in Jinghong. They fetch prices between 2 and 20 RMB per kilo. Collection of wild fruits and vegetables is

Scientific name Family UseBambusa stenostachya Gramineae Construction

Bambusa sp1 Gramineae D: Mai wang: edible shoots

Bambusa sp2 Gramineae D: Mai hong: construction

Bambusa sp3 Gramineae D: Mai lian: construction

Dendrocalamus barbaus Gramineae Edible shoots, fences, basketry

Dendrocalamus giganteus Gramineae Construction, fence, edible shoots

Dendrocalamus hamiltonii Gramineae Edible shoots

Dendrocalamusmembranaceus

Gramineae Edible shoots, fence, construction

Dendrocalamus semiscandens Gramineae Edible shoots

Dendrocalamus sinicus Gramineae Edible shoots, fence, construction

Indosasa hispida Gramineae Edible shoots, torch

Indosasa singulispicula Gramineae Torch

Pleioblastus amarus Gramineae Edible shoots

Pseudostachys polymorpha Gramineae Basketry

Schizostachyum funghonii Gramineae Construction, edible shoots, basketry

Thyrsostachys sinensis Gramineae Edible shoots, basketry

women' and children' work. However, men also collect, e.g. during hunting trips (Dai and Aini in Manggao, Lahu, Kami).

Herbal medicine

Dai traditional medicine alone uses about 2,000 plant species from 189 families (He Peikun, 1996). Many of these are under cultivation. Some are imported from other provinces and are important sources of income like Amomum villosum. This medicinal ginger is cultivated under closed forests of the community forest and inside the Mengla Subreserve at low altitude (Kami, Yao, and Aini). The understorey is cleared of herbs, shrubs and small trees. Since Amomum grows very densely, the natural regeneration of the forest is hampered. Harvest of Amomum seeds is predominantly done by women.

Medicinal plants collected from the forest are regarded to be more efficient than cultivated ones. This fact is highlighted by the different prices paid for example for Ginseng Panax ginseng: Prices of wild ginseng ranged from 106,000 to 352,000 US$ per kilo within China (Gaski & Johnson, 1994), whereas cultivated plants only cost 135 US$ per kilo in Jinghong pharmacies. The most commonly traded ginseng in Jinghong is Panax zingiberenses. The pharmacological and therefore economic potential of most medicinal plants of Xishuangbanna is not yet recognized.

Rattan, fibers, resins and dyes

Rattan only occurs in relatively humid lowland forest types in Xishuangbanna. Consequently most plants that are used in furniture manufacturing in Jinghong originate from Mengla County. Two types are predominantly used which are called Wai nou and Wai zuai in Dai. We were not yet able to identify the scientific names, and possibly several species have the same common name. Wai nou costs 2 to 3 RMB in Jinghong, but collectors only get a tenth. The same is true for Wai zuai that costs 1.5 to 2 RMB per kilo. In Mengla County, all visited minorities, except the Dai, and also Han Chinese north of Mengla are or were involved in rattan gathering. Stands are said to have declined seriously, and some gatherers (Yao, Miao) already given up this occupation. In Taozhiqing, only one person planted rattan on his own land. Rattan is also imported from Laos. Nearly all of this plus some originating from Xishuangbanna is further transported to Guangxi. Split rattan that can be produced in large amounts by machine is then re-exported to Xishuangbanna where a machine for processing rattan is not available.

Fibers derived from forest plants for making clothes etc. have almost no significance anymore and have been replaced by cultivated plants like Cottton and Kenaf. However, in more traditional villages, like Xingming (Yao), Naxiu (Aini) and Long tan (Miao), clothes are still dyed not only with indigo, but also with Baphicacanthus cusia, and indigenous plant in Yunnan.

The most important resin producing taxa are Pinus khasya, Canarium spp. and

Cinnamomum spp. However, nobody from the surveyed villages is involved in resin gathering. In Manggao Subreserve a Bulang family was tapping pine resin during summer of 1997.

Ornamentals and souvenirs

Ornamentals collected from the forest are traditionally planted in Dai gardens and wild orchids are cultivated in pots and on the low house roofs. This custom was also adopted by Aini and Yi. Orchids collected by Lahu were also for sale in Jinghong market. The gigantic seed pods of Entada phaceoloides are sold as souvenirs. Colorful seeds are used for making ornamental chains.

Game

Dependency on game meat as an important animal protein source varies along the watershed. People of the upper portions are usually more dependent on hunting than people of the lowlands, since income is usually lower. However, both Dai communities that have been visited are still actively involved in hunting, but more as a sort of recreational activity. For poorer villagers in the upper watersheds, game meat is still an important source of animal protein. Mammals and birds are hunted with muzzleloaders. Gunpowder is very cheap, since coal made from Bauhinia can be used which is collected in the forest. Larger mammals like tigers and bears are trapped in iron traps (Miao). Smaller mammals and ground birds are either shot with crossbows (Aini in Mengla, Kami,Yao) or trapped or snared. Arboreal birds are sometimes caught with glue (Yao, Kami). The two bamboo rat species Rhizomys pruinosus and R. Sumatraensis are dug out from their dens. This is the only hunting activity where women are also involved. Also children sometimes participate. The latter also can be seen regularly shooting small birds with slingshots. Game species have declined sharply which has resulted in some hunters giving up this time consuming and insecure activity. Particularly Dai and other minorities which hold productive lowland fields can no longer afford to spend extensive periods of time in the forest. Even the quite active Lahu hunters complained that they get game meat only once every month on average. All minorities generally preferred food from wild resources over domesticated species. Since prey is taken indiscriminately, there are no significant differences between minorities. Animal protein from the forest is supplemented by reptiles, preferably the larger Python molurus and Varanus salvator (except Lahu), but also by tree snails Helicostyla (Kami) and insects like grasshoppers (Kami, Aini), large larvae of beetles (Kami, Yao) and 'bamboo worms' which are caterpillars of moths (all interviewed minorities). All hunting activities are prohibited in Xishuangbanna. Poaching of a Class-1-protected species, like elephant can be (and was already) punished with execution. In the first half of 1998, authorities confiscated guns on a large scale. Since game is so rare in Xishuangbanna, game meat is even smuggled from Laos and sold in the area around Shanyong.

Honey

Honey is derived from beehives that are maintained by all minorities covered in this study. Aside from the honey bee Apis mellifera, other species of the genus Apis and at least two species of stingless bees Mellipona spp. are utilized.

The same is true for the collecting of honey in the forest. At least five different species are exploited. Gathering of honey from Apis spp. is considered to be dangerous, since several nests are situated on the same tree and the bees are aggressive.

Exploitation of wild honey is usually very destructive. Smoke is used to calm down the bees which can lead to forest fires. Trees are often destroyed in the attempt to widen the hole to gain access to the nest. Gathering of honey is done exclusively by men.

In most cases, honey is gathered for subsistence purposes only, however a limited amount can also be found for sale on the market in Jinghong.

Medicine from wildlife

The Chinese government formerly bought animal products from hunters for medicinal purposes. Now, trade with animal products which are not derived from farm animals is prohibited. However, as with herbal medicine, the perception that medicine gathered from 'wild' sources is much more effective than from cultivated or farmed plants and animals is prevalent. This is also reflected in the price. One gram of bear gall extracted from a farm is about 1US$, whereas from a wild bear it is 9 to 12 US$ (Mills et al., 1995). In state-run farmacies in Jinghong 5g of bear gall (from farms) cost 67 RMB. In a private pharmacy in Jinghong parts of Chinese pangolin Manis pentadactyla and antlers and penises of deer Cervus sp. were on exhibition. Parts of Tiger Panthera tigris turned out to be fake. Tokehs Gecho gekko are offered in the market, in state-run and private pharmacies.

According to informants parts of nationally protected species are also still for sale despite high penalties, but are not openly exhibited. Animal parts from all over the world are for sale in Jinghong pharmacies, like seal penises from the western USA or horns from Saiga antelopes Saiga tatarica from northern Asia. An illegal, but widely tolerated trade seems to exist with species from Laos and very likely also from Burma. This would be in accordance with the findings about tiger poaching in northern Burma (Rabinowitz, 1998) and general wildlife trade within Laos and across the borders (Martin, 1992; Srikosamatara et al.).

Food from freshwater

Fish and other animal food from freshwater plays an important role in the diet of all minorities. If no fishpond is owned by the respective family, it is caught from rivers and rivulets,. In some Dai, Aini and in one Miao families, children do the fishing. The most important fish families are the Cobitidae and Cyprinidae followed by the Channidae, Anguilidae and Siluridae. Tadpoles, adult frogs (mostly Rana), turtles Cyclemys dentata and Trionyx steindachneri, crabs and shrimps are also taken opportunistically. Snails and mussels are taken from stagnant water, including rice fields. The most common cultivated fish species are Tilapia Oreocromis mosambicus, Carp Carpio carpo, Catfish Clarias batrachus, and Striated snakehead Channa atriata.

Animals as pets or souvenirs

Mainly birds are kept as pets in Xishuangbanna. Preferred are munias, turtledoves and laughingthrushes. Only two mammal species have been observed being kept as pets: Rhesus macaque Macaca mulatta and one Northern tupaia Tupaia belangeri. Butterflies are extensively traded as souvenirs, in particular in Menglun and surrounding villages. Ten assorted butterflies cost 20 RMB. The most commonly collected species belong to the family Papillionidae including the spectacular birdwings (Ornithoptera), with Achillides, Euploea and Troides being the most valued genera. Ten assorted Papillionidae cost about 35 RMB. Virtually all these butterflies are collected from the wild. There is a butterfly farm in Menglun which is not effective. It even is said to buy butterflies caught from the wild. Dai, Aini, Yao and Kami are collecting butterflies. However, mostly children are involved in this business. Adults are very rarely active in butterfly catching (Yao). The prices for one individual range between 0.10 and 0.30 RMB.

Ornamental feathers of the green peacock Pavomuticus are in high demand among tourists, since this bird plays an important role in Buddhism in Xishuangbanna. The population in Xishuangbanna is close to extinction with about 30 to 50 individuals left (Luo Aidong, unpubl.). Virtually all feathers are said to come from Burma or Laos. Some are said to originate from captive populations of the Blue Peafowl Pavo cristatus from India. One complete 'fan' of ornamental feathers costs about 100 to 120 RMB in Menglun. The amount of feathers offered for sale is so high that it must be regarded asa serious drain of the population of this species in these countries. Captive populations of this species in and around Jinghong can not cover this high demand. Ivory carvings of Indian elephant Elehpas maximus are for sale in Jinghong which are said to be imported from Myanmar.

Project background

Xishuangbanna, lying at the southern tip of Yunnan province, holds the largest

and most pristine tropical rain forests left on the mainland of China. According to LAMPRECHT (1986) the forests can be classified as Tropical Evergreen Forest (<800 m above sea level), Tropical Semi-evergreen Forest (800-1200m) and Evergreen Montane Forest (>1200m). As an extension of the Southeast Asian Tropical Forest to the South, the tropical forest ecosystems here are bound to be fragile. Along with a fast shrinking of the land base available for local communities, the remaining forests have been facing more and more pressures from development.

In 1994 a team of experts from Germany came at the request of the Chinese Government to Xishuangbanna to assess a proposal aimed at helping Xishuangbanna with conservation and management of the tropical forests.

An agreement between the Governments of China and Germany was signed in September 1997 to jointly protect the tropical forests and biodiversity in Xishuangbanna with the help and participation of local people.

Project Description

TITTLE: Chinese-German Project Tropical Forest Ecosystems Management in Xishuangbanna IMPLEMENTING AGENCIES: Forestry Bureau, Nature Reserve Bureau,

Nabanhe Nature Reserve GERMAN PARTNERS: BMZ (Ministry of Cooperation and Development), GTZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft fiir Technische Zusammenarbeit, GmbH) DURATION: twelve years STARTING DATE: 1st September 1997 PROJECT CONTACT PERSON: Dr. Josef Margraf (GTZ adviser) DIRECTOR OF PROJECT: Mr. Cao Mengliang

Objectives

Development Goal:That Xishuangbanna's tropical forest ecosystems are protected.

Project Purpose:Government institutions and villagers in the pilot sites should jointly manage natural resources.

Proposed results after three years:* Villagers's participation in sustainable management of natural resources in the

pilot areas is intensified and institutionalised.* A bio-diversity monitoring system including indigenous knowledge is established and a database is set up with the participation of villagers and other institutions.* Forest management measures and structures are initiated and tested in the pilot areas at all levels.* Measures for the rehabilitation of degraded forests and community forests are developed and tested in selected sites.* Operational models for the diversification of mono culture plantations using indegenous species are developed and tested in the pilot areas.* Project management is operational.

Strategies

Land Use and Management

1. Promotion of the Management of Local Land Resource

1.1 Assess current land use with villagers in a participatory manner1.2 Analyze the economics of major production systems (including forestry production)1.3 Identify and promote viable land use systems that integrate indigenous practices and knowledge and respect culture, tradition and sustainability1.4 Assess with villagers potentials to improve the management of natural resources (including: paddy fields, fallow land, community forest, cash crop plantations, watershed)1.5 Assess the knowledge and technology required by target groups in improving the income from current agriculture production systems1.6 Provide the technical training required by villagers to develop sustainable agriculture production systems in terms of cultivation, forestry, and animal husbandry1.7 Support villagers in establishing long-term and stable cash crop plantations1.8 Assist intensification of raising pigs, chicken and fish in suitable upland communities1.9 Explore possibilities for ranch rearing wildlife species for cash income1.10 Test captive breeding of threatened wildlife species for eventually restocking wild populations inside the reserves 1.11 Test the breeding of wildlife species to generate income * Test Captive breeding of wild birds as pets, for souvenirs, or as food* Test fish, frog and reptile farming and ranching as an additional source of income * Test the breeding of butterflies as another way to generate income* Assess and support potentials of intensification of 'bamboo worm' production and bee-keeping1.12 Promote the exchange and extension of information and technology at village level

1.13 Assist the development of micro-infrastructure in pilot site (including facilities for irrigation, education, transportation, energy saving, and supplying drinking water)

2. Intensification of non-farm activities

2.1 Assess the demand, supply, and potentials of local products2.2 Evaluate technology and skills for the processing of local agricultural and forestry products (particularly those which help women to obtain additional income)2.3 Assist processing and marketing of local agricultural and forestry products (such as: wild vegetables, fruits, mushrooms, ornamental plants and medicinal plants)2.4 Support training in additional quality-oriented skills in processing, packaging, and marketing2.5 Introduce and improve production of useful crafts of local ethnic minorities (e.g. furniture, woven articles, costumes, embroidery and jewelry)

3. Information and Education campaign on environmental issues

3.1 Assess the educational level of potential target groups3.2 Analyze the important environmental issues relevant to the target groups3.3 Design informative and educational materials (audio or visual) using pertinent data derived from previous surveys and information on regulations of the reserve3.4 Test prototypes of the training materials with a few individuals from the target groups, and assess the appropriateness of the instructional materials3.5 Training multiplicator for various groups (farmer, students, and village leader) of target groups3.6 Review materials and incorporate changes and suggestions from trainers and trainees3.7 Mass produce materials in formats and languages appropriate for the target groups3.8 Assess the willingness of villagers and administrative regulations to move out of the nature reserves especially from the core zones

Biodiversity Monitoring

1. Establishment of Biodiversity Monitoring System (Year 1)

1.1 Organize biodiversity monitoring training for project organizations1.2 Identify operational indicators for biodiversity monitoring1.3 Define methodology and procedures of monitoring base on indicators selected1.4 Carry out monitoring as prescribed in the defined procedures

2. Set up a biodiversity monitoring system incorporating indigenous knowledge

2.1 Organize training on ecosystems and the identification, utilization, and ecology of

bio species for interested villagers (hunter, collector)2.2 Provide material for observing, identifying, documenting, collecting, and propagating of local species2.3 Promote observing and recording resources (plants and animals) in pilot sites 2.4 Validate results of resource observation and recording using indigenous knowledge and secondary sources (e.g. literature, other experts, museums, herbaria, etc.)2.5 Organize information dissemination about monitoring activities in the villages to draw interest, voluntary information and assistance from the local people (e.g. Bulletin boards in areas frequented by villagers, posters or newsletters)

3. Establish a database for a biodiversity network with other institutions

3.1 Set up an infrastructure for biodiversity database activities e. g. computer, library, literature, and other facilities not covered by other institutions 3.2 Train personnel in compiling, retrieving and gathering information on biodiversity in pilot areas 3.3 Establish links with other institutions, experts, both local and foreign, who are working on biodiversity

Forest Management

1. Assist constitution of an integrated management plan for Xishuangbanna Prefecture2. Develop and improve the forest management system3. Assist training in forest management4. Evaluate current strategies used in villages to manage forests5. Assist villages in formulating and improving rules and regulations for forest management6. Support the setting up of an operational team for forest management at village level7. Assist villages in establishing their proactive mechanism for forest management8. Explore methodology and measures for use and management of the community forest of pilot villages9. Organize training on forest management for villagers10. Explore together with villagers potentials to improve logging and collecting of non-timber products11. Support villagers in developing commercial production of timber12. Assist the establishment of bio-resources recording system for individual pilots

Diversify tree mono-cultures with native species

1. Evaluate existing diversification trials in rubber plantations and test performance with additional local species

2. Test and develop models of diversifying rubber plantations to increase output using local species3. Test and improve models of diversifying mono-culture cash trees with native species4. Test ranch raising indigenous animals in diversified tree plantations

Forest Rehabilitation

1. Rehabilitate degraded areas2. Identify priority forest land for rehabilitation3. Decide on indigenous tree species to use in sites selected for rehabilitation4. Train project staff and villagers in seed collect on and nursery production5. Establish a nursery of local tree species6. Assist the pilot villages in developing plantations of local timber species and cash trees in available fallow and other suitable land 7. Support villagers in managing the degraded forest lands for income generation( based around timber species, bamboo/ bamboo shoots, rattan, medicinal plants)

Project Management

1. Establish organizational structure for project management, and clarify function and responsibility of individual partners2. Define a management system for project implementation3. Carry out monitoring & evaluation of project activity and impact together with the target groups* Establish methods and procedures for participatory project monitoring* Organize training in project progress and impact monitoring 4. Document project strategy, approaches and results5. Share and exchange knowledge, information and findings with other institutions and projects with common interests in the region 6. Exchange and cooperate with concerned local projects 7. Cooperate with concerned projects from China and abroad

Actitities

* Workshop

ZOPP 4 WorkshopFrom April 20 to 29, the ZOPP 4 Workshop for the Tropical Forest Management

Project in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan Province was held successfully in the Golden Banna Hotel in Jinghong, the Capital City of Xishuangbanna Prefecture.

Forty-five participants from three partner organizations (the Xishuangbanna Forestry Bureau, the Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve, and Nabanhe Nature reserve), the Government of Xishuangbanna Prefecture, the Yunnan Forestry Department, the Foreign Affairs Division of the National Forestry Administration, MOFTEC, and BMZ attended the workshop together with Chinese consultants and 9 foreign consultants. During the workshop, a 3-year framework for the project was developed based on the findings of the situational analysis and target group analysis (TGA); an operation plan from May 1998 to April.1999 was elaborated and agreed upon. Signing of the workshop documents by both the partners and GTZ Advisor for the project marked the official beginning of implementation of this phase of the project. * Training

ZOPP Training (1)From February 1st to 9th 1998, GTZ-XSBN project organized a workshop for

adapted use of ZOPP (objective-oriented planning) and the methods, processes and basic techniques of PRA (participatory rural appraisal). Ms. Consuelo E.Misa from the Philippines, an expert in strategic planning, moderated the workshop. It was attended by project staff from Mongolia, Beijing, Jiangxi province, and Hainan province as well as Xishuangbanna Prefecture of Yunnan province.

During the workshop, logical frameworks of project planning, philosophy of project cycle management were clarified, and the features, content, methods and processes, as well as the necessity and basic approach of Target Group Analysis were well illustrated and explored. Padian, a village of Bulang Township in Menghai was selected for a case study in which a development plan for the village was formulated with the villagers through participatory approaches.

At the workshop, the staff from the Xishuangbanna Project were able to access ZOPP methodology and techniques. This has laid a foundation for the future extension of ZOPP methodology among partner organizations.

ZOPP Training (2)Between February and March, the project staff translated and compiled a series of

GTZ publications to systematically clarify the quality criteria, and terminology of participatory development cooperation, the function and responsibilities between the cooperation, and the conception of TGA (Target Group Analysis), the function and importance of carrying out the TGA activities as well as the contents, approaches and procedures of ZOPP, in order to allow partner organizations to better understand the GTZ concept for cooperation and project management,

From April 8--9 1998, the project office organized a workshop for leaders and key technicians of three project partners to exercise project planning in ZOPP methodology and to develop the partners' perception of the goal, purpose, strategy, organization and implementation of the project, as well as other components of project planning. During the workshop, the partner organizations experienced the

functions and efficiency of ZOPP in promoting communication, consensus building, and participation in the decision-making process. Through this workshop the partners improved their understanding of development cooperation. Moreover, this workshop laid out a technical foundation for the aforementioned ZOPP 4 workshop of the project.

PRA training From July 14th to 24th, PRA training was held for staff of the Forestry Bureau,

the Xishuangbanna Nature Reserve Bureau, Nabanhe Nature Reserve, and the project office. Ms. Cai kui from the Geography Institute of Kunming, along with Den Yongjing, Wu Zhaolu, and He Peikun were the trainers.

Partner organizations investigated pilot villages with PRA methods.

Computer training was held in June.

Biodiversity Monitoring training The one-week training/workshop on Biodiversity Monitoring (BM) was held

from 19th to 25th of October 1998. It was one of the project's activities aiming to establish the Biodiversity Monitory System (BMS). There were 10 participants from three project partner organizations, the Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve Bureau, the Xishuangbanna Forestry Department and the Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve Bureau, the Xishuangbanna Forestry Department and the Nabanhe Nature Reserve station. These trainees will be in charge of BMS in the pilot villages. As a result of the workshop and field trip, the indicators and monitoring methods for BMS were defined by the participants.

Environmental education training Environmental education training was held from Dec 15th to 18th 1998 in

Menghai County. Mr Loyed Brown was the trainer he was assisted by Luhongyan. He is an environmental educator from Australia. The trainees came from three partner organizations, the project office, two pilot villages, and the education department. Robert and Katja Geissler from Germany presented their materials for environmenatl education.

Land use planning training Land use planning has been identified as an important tool to enable local people

to manage their natural resources sustainably. The project partners have requested the project to develop a methodology for land use planning and to provide training in this fiels. Responding to this need, Dr. Ulrich Apel was invited to the project from January to March 1999 to develop and test a methodology adapted to the specific situation in Xiahuangbanna and to provide training on this matter.

A methodology for village-based land use planning in Xishuangbanna has been developed and tested in 4 pilot villages. The consultant has worked closely together

with project staff and with 3 counterparts from the three partner organisations to provide training on the job. The outputs of the planning process are present land use maps, future land use maps, and land use planning reports including implementation planning for each of the 4 pilot villages.

Wherever local people use land and natural resources they basically practice land use planning. That means, that land use planning is not initiated by institutions or projects, but already exists as an element of traditional land use systems. Therefore, land use planning done by the project is understood as an intervention to improve the way local people plan their land use aiming at a more sustainable use of resources.

Land use planning has to provide feasible options for farmers to improve their present management of resources. The focus is on practical options which can lead to positive changes, therfore, it includes also the planning for implementation of specific activities to improve land use.

Land use planning requires active participation of local people. It can be seen as a step-by-step process which is based on the dialog among all people concerned. The planning process must be simple and easy to understand for all participants. Land use planning conducted by the project does not deal with legal aspects of land allocation and is not legally binding. However it is suggested that all parties agree upon the land use plan for a period of at least 5 years and express their commitment to implement the plan.

Coffee raising seedling training Villagers start to realize the importance of sustainable development through the

activity of land use planning which is conducted by the project. As they have been planting sugarcane for a long time, they have already found that it can seriously damage the soil. Meanwhile, investments outweigh the benefits. Villagers are trying to find a longterm cash crop to replace sugarcane. In recent years, since the Nestle coffee experiment and demostration farm was established in Xishuangbanna.2424some places have been planting coffee. It proves that climatic conditions in the region are suitable for coffee cultivation. Some villagers want to plant coffee to improve the present land use system, and hope the project can assist them with planting technology and part funding.

In January 1999, our project invited Mr. Lihongfang from Beijing, to carry out coffee planting training in two pilot villages (Taozhiqing, Pinghe). As soon as the training was over, villagers began constructing nurseries, breeding plants and reclearing the terraces. In addition, the project organized a visit for villagers from Anmalaozhai who were interested to the "Nestle experimental and demonstration farm".

Training on coffee plantation technology for villagers Rainy season is the best season for plantation in XSBN. On August 30-September

3,1999 project conducted the training on coffee plantation technology for Taoziqing

Yao minority village. Villagers actively participated in this training. Now villagers obtain the knowledge on coffee plantation and they are confident that they can manage it next year2525meanwhile they can also share the knowledge with other people .As a matter of fact technical support is much more effective than directly give the money to the villagers.

* Target Group Analysis

Community organizers started Target Group Analysis from Oct.6th until the1997 ZOPP4. Meanwhile the project invited some experts to assist, who came from China and abroad.

* Community development

Infrastructure

On March 2nd and April 21st , celebrations for completion of their water supply systems were held by the villages Lancang Xiaoxinzhai (Han people) of Meng'a township and Huilao village of Mengsong township in Menghai County.

In the past, the villagers, especially the women, were constantly troubled by the water supply problem. They had to fetch water from a long way away. It not only wasted the labour, but also occupied a lot of time which could have been spent in the fields. To improve the living standard of the target group (see Newsletter 1) and initiate the villagers to participate in the project's activities more positively, the project provided technical support and funding while the villagers themselves supplied the labour force to construct the tapped water supply systems. It took over a month to complete the tap water projects.

All the staff who made efforts for the tap water projects, leaders from related units in different levels and the long term expert from GTZ Jinghong office were invited to the celebrations.

Planting and raising Huilao is a Lahu minority village with 30 households and a population of 146.

This village has been selected to be one of the pilot villages of the Nabanhe nature reserve. The Sino-German project conducted PRA and land use planning at the village, hence a common understanding on how to develop and improve their living conditions has been achieved. The project would support compensation for villagers on cash crop growing and drinking water supply system construction. Villagers agreed to return degraded fallow land for forestry, meanwhile protecting the watershed forest. The cash crops growing activities also ran smoothly in June,1999. The villagers' awareness of conservation has been initiated and developed since their involvement with the project.

Bayalaozhai is a typical Jinuo minority village with 67 households and a population of 324. It lies in a special geographical location, enclosed by nature reserve and state forest. Elephants often visit the villagers' fields. The project staff have conducted PRA and Land Use Planning at this village since it was selected as a pilot village of the prefecture forestry department. In accordance with the villagers' aspirations to combine long-term and short-term development strategies, the project provided seedlings of cash crops and seedlings of local tree species such as Anthocephallus chinensis and Cassia siamea in June 1999. The present limited paddy fields and damage from wild animals can not meet the demands of the increasing population, so villagers have to reclaim large areas of community forest to grow upland rice, which causes shocking damage. In order to rehabilitate the degraded community forest and fallow, villagers and the project have achieved a common agreement for a rehabilitation plan through Land Use Planning. Therefore, as the paddy field of this village is extremely limited (0.5mu/person) the project will support construction an irrigation dam for reclaiming more paddy field. Bamboo rat raising

During the implementaion of land use planning, some villagers of Anmalaozhai (inside Nabanhe nature reserve) presented their idea for raising Bamboo rats. Bamboo rats were game species of ethnic groups in the past and nowadays some villagers still catch them for meat or to sell, although it's against rules and regulations such as the wildlife conservation law of China. The bamboo rat population is shrinking rapidly. Considering the serious situation this harmless animal is facing, the project planned to support the pilot village. After a visit by the villagers to the Bamboo Raising Center in Jinghong, they are confident to try this activity themselves. Two suitable households were chosen by the villagers to be the initial model households. They will be supported by the project, which will provide the initial livestock and technical assistance. These kind of activities are not only viewed as a source of income by the villagers, but also as biodiversity conservation.

* Land use planningSince the training of land use planning which conducted by Dr.Ulrich Apel in

January -March. Project staff applied the methodology and continued to conduct the LUP activity at three pilot villages. Although the timber plantation will take long time to be harvesting, villagers presented their aspiration to plant timbers in some part of their fallow land and community forest as their long-term cash crops.

According to the LUP project provided the seedlings of Chinese fir and paramichelia baillonii for villagers at Xiaoxinzhai. The villagers at Taoziqing will conduct afforestation in some part of their fallow. There is no doubt that the project will support this activity.

* Local tree species raising

Project has signed the contract with some villagers who interested in raising loccal tree species seedlings in order to conduct afforestation and rehabilitation. Most of these trees are shade lovers such as the villagers favorite tree species Betula alnoides, Toona ciliata, Paramichelia baillonii, Anthocephallus chinensis and the rare tree species Dipterocarpus turbinatus, etc. Since the logging ban issued the timber will be more and more valuable and some villagers have already realized the benefit of timber plantation. But most of villagers don27t realize this point. Actually they have the advantage for timber plantation. Been living on mountain an dependant on the mountain. As fully take this advantage to combine the endemic knowledge with the technology and fund support from outside. Can nobody say this is an unacceptable way of improving the living condition? This activity of project will be a mobilization to help and involve more villagers in this long-term strategy development.

* Environmental education

Environmental education is one approach to improve environmental behaviour and to enable people to understand their environment and to live in a sustainable way. Since environmental education training last November and with the help of Katja and Robert, the project staff have conducted further environmental education training for village teachers and teenagers at Jinuo and Lahu minority villages. All participants, whether teachers or teenagers, were quite interested in this sort of awareness education. The participants' behaviour towards the environment has been improved through the environmental education activity. They began to realize that people are dependant on and closely related to nature The feedback shows that it is vital to conduct such activitis at different levels with different materials and methodologies.

Introduction of short-term experts

National experts:

Mr. Den Yongjing, from the University of Yunnan, Kunming. This sociologist assisted us in a gender-disaggregated needs assessment.Mr. Wu Zhaolu, an ecologist from the University of Yunnan, Kunming, helped us in the analysis of forest products with potential for future use.Miss Cai kui, PRA trainer from Geography Institute of Kunming.Mr. He Pikun, a social forestry worker, and he is one of teacher during PRA training.

International experts:

Dr. Paciencia P. Milan, a professor of Biology and the current Program Director of

the Philippine-German Applied Tropical Ecology Program based in the Visayas State College of Agriculture. She assisted the project in identifying the needs and assessing the situation of communities that may be considered beneficiaries of the project.

Dr. Thomas Achilles, is an agro-ecologist. During his assignment Dr. Achilles focused on the land use-systems of the different minority groups and their management of natural resources.Mrs. Consuelo Pet Misa conducted training in ZOPP methodology and participatory rural appraisal for project staff. She also led the moderation during the ZOPP4 workshop in April. Ms. Marlene Richter, expert in land use systems and sociology conducted a target group analysis in other potential project sites.

Mr. Peter Widmann, expert in South East Asian Biodiversity, helped us in setting up an efficient biodiversity monitoring system for Xishuangbanna.

Dr.Ulrich Apel, a forester, expert in land use planning for developing and testing a methodology adapted to the specific situation in XSBN and to provide training on LUP.

Mr. Loyed Brown, environmental educator from Australia. Conduct the environmental education training for project staff.

TROPICAL FOREST ECOSYSTEM MANAGMENT PROJECT