Sustainable economic development model based on ...

UNESCO Man and Biosphere

Young Scientist Award (2010)

Final Report

Li Haiqian

Research center for Eco-environmental

Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences

People’s Republic of China

Tel: 86-15010220572

E-mail: [email protected]

November, 2011

Sustainable economic development model based on stakeholders’ collaboration:

Comparative study between the Heilongjiang Xingkai Lake Biosphere Reserve

and Beijing Miyun water source reserve

mailto:[email protected]

UNESCO Man and Biosphere Young Scientist Award Final Report, Haiqian Li. 2011

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Sustainable economic development model based on stakeholders’ collaboration:

Comparative study between the Heilongjiang Xingkai Lake Biosphere Reserve and

Beijing Miyun water source reserve

Abstract

The dilemma of achieving balanced and sustainable conservation and economy

development in natural reserve regions is a prominent problem. In this research we

studied this issue from stakeholder perspectives. Relative investigations were carried

out in the case areas- Heilongjiang Xingkai Lake biosphere reserve and Beijing

Miyun water source reserve. Field survey and propaganda, stakeholder interviews and

analysis, household survey and picture recording were used for conducting this

research topic and the results were analyzed. From the stakeholder integration

perspective, the Miyun water source reserve development is in an advanced stage

compared to the Xingkai Lake reserve. Effective explorations which improved

stakeholder collaboration and balanced development in Miyun reserve were

concluded and recommended. A sustainable economic development model was

proposed for Xingkai Lake biosphere reserve, based on local investigation and

stakeholders’ collaboration, included four aspects of cultivation and improvement of

local agriculture industry, development of biogas renewable energy, establishment of

ecological subsidy and information diffusion mechanism. We hoped this research can

offer some good reference for exploring conservation and economy integrated

development at reserve regions’ communities.


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Content

1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 3

1.1 The dilemma of conservation and economy development in reserve regions. .................... 3

1.2 Man and Biosphere Young Scientist Awards and the target of this research ....................... 5

2. Conservation and economic condition of Xingkai Lake Biosphere reserve and Miyun

water source reserve regions .......................................................................................................... 6

2.1 Heilongjiang Xingkai Lake Biosphere reserve region ........................................................ 6

2.2 Beijing Miyun water soure reserve region ........................................................................ 11

3. Methods in this research ....................................................................................................... 13

3.1 Field survey ....................................................................................................................... 13

3.2 Field Propaganda ............................................................................................................... 14

3.3 Stakeholder analysis and interview ................................................................................... 15

3.4 Stakeholders assessment ................................................................................................... 16

3.5 Communities household investigation .............................................................................. 17

3.6 Picture recording ............................................................................................................... 17

4. Stakeholder assessment results and discussion ................................................................... 18

4.1 Assessment results of stakeholders in the Xingkai Lake biosphere reserve...................... 18

4.2 Assessment results of stakeholders in Miyun water source reserve .................................. 21

4.3 Comparison of stakeholders’ participation in the two case reserve regions. ..................... 23

5. Effective explorations for stakeholders’ integration in Miyun water source reserve ...... 24

5.1 Effective explorations for stakeholders’ collaboration ...................................................... 25

5.1.1 Government and enterprise interaction-industrial structure and spatial distribution

transition ......................................................................................................................... 25

5.1.2 Enterprises role transition-recycling economy ....................................................... 27

5.1.3 Residents and government collaboration-environmental demonstration creation

and conservation jobs mechanism ................................................................................... 28

5.2 Negative move mitigation-establishing stakeholder links ................................................. 29

6. Stakeholders collaboration based sustainable economic development model for Xingkai

Lake biosphere reserve ................................................................................................................. 30

6.1 Industrial cultivation and improvement ............................................................................ 33

6.2 Renewable energy development ........................................................................................ 35

6.3 Ecological subsidy willingness of local communities’ residents ...................................... 37

6.4 Requirements of knowledge and information diffusion .................................................... 39

7 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................. 41

Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................................... 43

References ...................................................................................................................................... 44

Affiliations ..................................................................................................................................... 47

1. Related Papers ..................................................................................................................... 47

2. Pictures ................................................................................................................................ 47


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1. Introduction

1.1 The dilemma of conservation and economy development in reserve regions.

Natural reserves are designated to protect particular ecological envi

ronment, biodiversity or landscape of a region, they has very high protection,

scientific research and tourism value. There are many types of natural reserve all over

the world, which differ in their location, protection contents and administration level.

Biosphere reserves are reserve areas of terrestrial and coastal marine ecosystems

which are internationally recognized under UNESCO’s Man and Biosphere (MAB)

Programme. There are currently 580 sites in 114 countries. Biosphere reserves are

seeking to reconcile conservation of biological, economic and social development

through partnerships between people and nature, they are ideal place to test and

demonstrate innovative approaches to sustainable development from local to

international scales. Biosphere reserves also share their experience and ideas

nationally, regionally and internationally within the World Network of Biosphere

Reserves. China is one of the world’s largest developing countries. China's natural

reserves have rapid development through recent years, and the cooperation with

foreign natural reserves gets increasingly closer. By 2008, China had established 2531

natural reserves of different governmental administration levels, and since 1979 there

are 28 reserves gradually became biosphere reserve under the UNESCO MAB

programme.

One of the prominent dilemmas in the reserve regions is how to treat the

relationship between ecological conservation and development correctly. As we

known, in many natural reserves, due to strict regulations, the reserve and its

surrounding region communities' economic development has been affected, the main

economic activity there is usually primitive production(eg. agricultural activities),

local economic output is low (eg. Gross Domestic Product), residents’ average income

is less, always laging behind other neighboring areas which don’t have conservation

requirements. These give rise to a conflict between the conservation and development.

Meanwhile, due to lack of funds some reserves’ development and research projects


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have to set aside. We believed that conservation and development may be

contradictory in these regions in the short term, but in the long-term, the protection

and development should not be contradictory. We should explore and achieve an

effective and integrated conservation and economic sustainable development in

natural reserve regions, especially in the reserve surrounding communities, and strike

a balance between satisfying the protection needs and raise residents’ income to

ensure sustainability.

Water source reserves, one type of natural reserves, are designed globally to

protect the limited raw drinking and industrial use water resources. In recent years,

the increased industrial, agricultural water demand, rapid urbanization, water quality

degradation and climate change were the main driving factors for water sources’

conservation and management (World bank, 2003; World bank, 2006; Yang et al.,

2003). Nowadays many countries had been forming their water sources protection

framework such as European Union countries, the United States and Canada (Ivey et

al., 2006; Qixin et al., 2003; Timmer et al., 2007). In China, the total water resources

are abundant, but due to large population quantity, uneven spatial distribution and

severe pollution problems, per capita water source amount was rare. Conservation

zones (such as core zone, buffer zone, edge zone) were designated in many water

source areas in China referring to natural conservation method, especially for

reservoir water sources. Strict regulations were executed in these areas for achieving

environmental protection targets. These regulations had to some extent restricted

human living and production activities, which became hindrance to local communities’

sustainable development. Besides, most water sources located in rural areas, the local

communities’ economic condition was poor. Although the water was protected and

some residents had accepted ecological compensation fund, local people's income in

these areas still lagged behind surrounding areas without water conservation

requirements, local communities’ economy lacked of endogenetic growth momentum.

The dilemma of conservation and development was also prominent in water source

reserves, in some of these regions local residents, even government officials, had


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negative attitude toward water conservation, it was often deemed by local people that

these areas were water and ecological conserved but human discarded.

1.2 Man and Biosphere Young Scientist Awards and the target of this research

The fundamental goal of the Man and Biosphere reserves is to promote regional

sustainable development by integrating biodiversity conservation and local

community development. A balanced coordination between the conservation and its

surrounding communities development is urgent need. Therefore we started looking

for suitable sustainable economic development model for reserve regions and

discussed effective explorations to achieve the win-win goal. In 2010, I was awarded

one UNESCO Man and Biosphere Young Scientist Award. The research was carried

out on the topic “Sustainable economic development model based on stakeholders’

collaboration: Comparative study between the Heilongjiang Xingkai Lake Biosphere

Reserve and Beijing Miyun water source reserve”. We hoped this research is

developed to gain an insight into the local communities’ conservation and economic

development, understand indigenous impetus in local sustainable development, and

made development countermeasures from stakeholder perspectives to implications in

future. Two China’s water source reserve regions, the Heilongjiang Xingkai Lake

reserve (Biosphere Reserve) and Beijing Miyun water source reserve (Non-Biosphere

reserve), were taken for comparative case study. We tried to form a sustainable

development model combining stakeholders for the Xingkai Lake biosphere reserve

communities. The aim of the model is helping improve local economic development,

alleviate poverty and financing for reserve protection through economic improvement.

Meanwhile this model’s execution will promote collaboration among the stakeholders

in local communities, the reserve management experiences will be propagandized, the

results of this research will be a solid foundation and referenced in future nature

reserve management practices. We hoped this study would give a new perspective for

communities’ sustainable development at conservation regions. Conservation could

also become a catalyst for different stakeholders’ collaboration, especially local

stakeholders, in achieving integrated sustainable development.


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My name is Haiqian Li, a young man and Ph.D. I worked as research assistant of

Research center for Eco-environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, PRC.

For successfully implemented this project and finished proposed work, I formed a

small research team and implemented the designed research. Our team members

included Yanyun Liu, Qiang Li and Wenbin Hou, we collaborated well for achieving

this research target. We had accepted warm help in application and research

publication from Mr. Yi Zhijun of China National Committee of Man and Biosphere

Program. Meanwhile we consulted and took some guidance from natural reserve

administrative governmental directors and research experts, including Mr. Taojin,

from Heilongjiang Province Forest bureau. Mr. Huang Xuzhong, Mr. Liu Zhonggang,

HeiLongJiang Agricultural Reclamation Mudanjiang branch Forest and Environment

bureau. Mr. Liu Zhengkai, Jixi city Forest bureau. Prof. Su Jinbao, Prof. Huang Puwei,

Prof. Liu Manhong from Northeast Forest University, China. Ms.Yang Chen, Beijing

Miyun Water Conservation foundation.

2. Conservation and economic condition of Xingkai Lake

Biosphere reserve and Miyun water source reserve regions

2.1 Heilongjiang Xingkai Lake Biosphere reserve region

Lake Xingkai/Khanka(Russian side name), is a trans-boundary lake shared by

the People’s Republic of China (China) and the Russian Federation(Russia)(Fig.1).It

was divided by sand dam into two regions, the smaller one was called small Xingkai

Lake (Xiao Xingkai Lake). It is the largest freshwater lake in Northeast Asia and

supports high biodiversity. The Xingkai Lake area borders the wetlands for the

migratory birds in the eastern Asian flyway. The lake was managed and protected

respectively by China and Russia. Two natural reserves were designed and managed

the region, one is China's Xingkai lake natural reserves, the other is Khanka protected

areas of the Russian Federation.


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Fig.1 The Xingkai Lake/Khanka Lake Reserve region and watershed

On the China side, Xingkai lake natural reserve locates in the Mishan city of

eastern Heilongjiang province, it is a China’s national administrative level reserve

(The total area of the reserve is 222,488 ha, in which core area is 75,777 ha). Xingkai

Lake natural reserve was firstly established as Heilongjiang provincial natural reserve

in 1986. In 1992 a trans-boundary natural reserve was established with Russian

Khank natural reserve with the help of International Crane Foundation. Then in 1994,

the reserve was approved by Chinese government as a national natural reserve. In

April of 1996, China and Russian Governments signed an agreement for the

trans-boundary natural reserve of Xingkai Lake. In 1997 the reserve was appointed as

a network site of the Northeast Asia Crane Site Network. In 2001, the reserve joined

the Ramser wetland Convention. And in 2007 Xingkai Lake natural reserve was

recognized by UNESCO as one of the Man and Biosphere Reserves. This reserve

protects the world's rare lake - forest - wetland ecosystems, with rich biodiversity of

higher plants, invertebrates, birds and fishes, it is also a specific inland wetland

ecosystem in China’s Sanjiang plain (Table.1).


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Table. 1 Environmental condition and biodiversity of Xingkai Lake region

Condition

Water quantity Small Xingkai Lake：

Average water depth 3m, the maximum water storage 5.05×108m3, average

water level 70.60m, areas 140km2.

Xingkai Lake:

Average depth 3.5m, water storage 153.3×108 m3, average water level

69m,areas in China 1,040km2.

Water quality I-II class of China’s ground water standard.

Soil Type 8 soil types in the basin. Hill is sandy soil, and lake is muddy clay soil. The

soil changes from deep brown soil to white-stiff soil. Some island-shaped

forests have formed on marshy brown soil.

Climate Mainland monsoon climate of temperate zone. Average annual temperature

3.10C, average temperature range -19.2

0C-21.2

0C, annual rainfall 750mm

most rainfall in summer snow storm in winter, frost-free period 158 days,

frozen period from November to March.

Hydrological

values

Great significances in maintaining water, supplement for underground water,

adjusting ground water, dispelling flood, clearing up air, adjusting climate,

and eliminating pollution, etc.

Ecological

features

Main habitats and vegetation types. Lower hills, lake hills, marshy area, and

lakes. Forest trees on hills, and wormwoods on lower hills, reeds and sedges

in marshes.

Noteworthy

flora

Over 460 higher plant species.37 species wood plant,22 species vine plants,

263 grass plants,1 species moss, 138 species medicine plants, 9 species food

fungus, 61 species honey plants, 13 species berry plants, 52 species aquatic

phytoplankton.

Vegetation

communities

Forests, marshy grassland, marshes, and aquatic plants.

Noteworthy 360 species of vertebrates, 4 species of the first class national protected


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fauna species (Redcrowned Crane, Oriental stork, White-tailed Sea Eagle, and

Golden Eagle), 34 species of the second-class national protected species. 39

species of mammals, predominant species are Vulpes vulpes, Lepus timidus,

Ondatra zibethica, Capreolus capreolus. 238 bird species, 18 duck species,

dominant species are Mallard, Common Pochard, Green-winged Duck and

Garganey.118 species of forest birds, dominant species are Ring-necked

Pheasant Phasianus colchicus, Magpie Pica pica, Carrion Crow Corvus

corone, Great Tit Parus. 68 fish species, dominant species are Carps and

crucians, Erythroculter lishaeformis, Culter compressocorpus, and

Erythroculter dabryi shikanensis are native species. 6 species amphibians,

dominant species are Salamandrella keyserlingii and Rana amurensis and 7

species reptilians, dominant species are turtles.

Data source: Management Plan of Xingkai Lake Natural Reserve (2005);(Xiangcan, 2006)

The managerial rights of lands surrounding the lake area mainly belong to the

state farms of Heilongjiang Agriculture Reclamation Bureau and local Mishan city

collective villages. The local Jixi city government has established a union

management committee for the protection of the Xingkai Lake natural reserve. The

committee had planned and proposed conservation measures, including Management

Plan of Xingkai Lake Nature Reserve, Conservation Plan of Xingkai Lake

Biodiversity, Construction Plan of Xingkai Lake Resorts, Construction Plan of

Ecological Demonstration Zone et al. The reserve was for nature protection and

scientific research. Former scientific research conducted in the reserve were mainly

on biodiversity protection, including topics on the ecological studies of Red crowned

Crane and Oriental Stork, the migration of birds in spring and fall, et al. Conservation

education (training and education program) and international cooperation had been

increasingly conducted in this reserve recently.


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Table. 2 Economic condition in the Xingkai Lake natural reserve and adjacent region, 2009

Index Unit Jixi city Mishan city Hulin city Jidong county

GDP Billion

Yuan

35.4 7.43 7.78 6.22

Per capita GDP Yuan 18547 17126 26450 21415

Fiscal revenue Billion

Yuan

2.1 0.33 0.23 0.45

Fiscal expenditure Billion

Yuan

4.14 1.03 0.76 0.85

Employed worker salary Yuan 23433 22007 17004 23141

Farmer annual income Yuan 5736 5677 6118 5899

Data source：Heilongjiang Statistic Year Book (National Static bureau, 2010)

The Xingkai Lake reserve locates in Mishan city, which is under governmental

administration of Jixi city. The Jixi city also governed Hulin city and Jidong county.

Table. 2 listed the economic data of this region, Mishan city GDP was compared

lower than adjacent cities, and its Per capital GDP was lower than the average Jixi

city level, local economic development was compared slower and relative resident

income was less, especially for rural farmer income. However the government fiscal

expenditure of Mishan city was much higher than adjacent areas, local agriculture,

water and environmental input had accounted for a larger proportion. Local reserve

protection requirements had to some extent influenced its economic development. In

the reserve surrounding communities, the ecology and environment was in good

conditon, with abundant water and fertile cultivated land. Farms were distributed in

the Xingkai Lake reserve surrounding area, and agriculture production was local

communities’ traditional activities. The main crops are rice, soybeans and corn. Dairy

cattle and fish were the important livestock aquaculture products. However, the

pollution from agricultural activities once affected the water quality of rivers and

lakes. About 30 kinds of minerals have been found in the area, mainly coal, peat,

potash feldspar, and marble. But due to protection requirements, large-scale resources


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mining activities were restricted in local communities. In recent years, tourism were

conducted, from statistic data, in 2010 there are about 930,000 visitors coming to the

reserve from home and abroad, annual tourism income reached 230 million RMB

yuan. This helped some villagers raised income. In this research we also did local

communities’ household economic investigation and relative results will be discussed

in following sections.

2.2 Beijing Miyun water soure reserve region

Beijing, China's capital, is a large yet water shortage city. The city's expansion,

assembling of population, increase of water consumption and severe pollution had

curtailed the limited water resource. Its total water resource was 2.18 billion m3 / year

and about 126.6 m3

water per capita/year. Man-made reservoirs and rivers constituted

thirty percent of Beijing’s water supply(Beijing Statistic Bureau, 2010). The Miyun

reservoir was the major surface water source for urban residential and industrial usage,

with total pondage of 0.95 billion m3 (2010) (Fig.2). Beijing municipal government

published protection regulations on Miyun reservoir and designated three-levels

conservation zones at this water source (Beijing Municipal People's Congress

Standing Committee, 1999). Designated conservation zones occupied the majority

areas of local communities-Miyun county (2227Km2

land, 0.46 million people, 2010).

In different zones, detailed protection requirements were raised, including

requirements on construction projects, industrial and emission. For instance,

construction and tourism were forbidden in level-1 zone, except expansion,

renovation or addition to the water supply constructions. In level-2 zone, construction

projects which directly or indirectly emission sewage water were banned. In level-3

zone serious pollution projects were restricted, including the activities of metallurgy,

chemical, paper mill, pharmaceutical, tannery, printing and dyeing, electroplating etc.


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Fig. 2 The Beijing Miyun water source reserve region

The Miyun reservoir had benefits from flood control, power generation,

aquiculture and irrigation, its annual electricity generation capacity was about 115

million KWh and annual freshwater fish production was 3 million kilograms (Beijing

Statistic Bureau, 2003-2009). However, these did not bring an economic prosperity to

the surrounding local communities. In the past long time, the balanced development

dilemma was prominent in this county, even affected social stability. Due to water

source protection, economic output and resident income there was lower than

circumjacent counties. Local government was the key and sole stakeholder in charge

of local development. Large-scale farming, resources mining and industrial

enterprises were restricted, employment opportunities were reduced. 165 enterprises

along the reservoir downstream ChaoBai river had been closed or changed according

to conservation requirements. Local farmers had contributed hundreds of thousands

square meters of cultivated land for the construction of Miyun reservoir, farmers’

agricultural costs increased as local water supply decreased. The county’ development

was mainly a “blood donation” type, local government revenue came in large

proportion from financial allocation and transfer payment by the Beijing municipal


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government. Villagers lived in the upstream of Miyun reservoir got 550 RMB yuan

ecological compensation per Mu (China area unit, equals to 667 square meters),

residents lived in level-1 zone depended only on this compensation for living. Some

villagers who lost their income source did illegal sand mining in the downstream

ChaoBai rivers, endangering the water supply safety. Many of the labor forces moved

to other city districts which worsen the development participation in local

communities. Negative attitudes on water source conservation once raised appeal and

strained relationship among local government, enterprises and residents.

In recent years, exploration of conservation and economy balanced development

had been carried out in Miyun county. The county per capita GDP had risen to 26000

RMB yuan in 2009, local residents annual income increased from 8040 RMB yuan in

2000 ($971, 1 dollar=8.28 RMB yuan) to 21540 RMB yuan in 2009 ($3168, 1

dollar=8.28 RMB yuan) (Beijing statistic bureau, 2002-2010). Meanwhile local

conservation activities were not subsided or suspended, the growing local

government's financial resources together with Beijing municipal yearly ecological

compensation were fed back into ecological protection and hydraulic construction,

with a 10%-20% per year growth rate in agriculture, forestry and hydraulic

expenditure(Beijing Statistic Bureau, 2003-2009). Miyun county formed a landscape

ecosystem, consisting of vegetation patches of large and small sizes, high ratio of

green space, reservoir and water corridors. Local communities’ operation was

transitioning to a sustainable “blood generation” type, economic and environmental

profits gradually generated from development activities and local fiscal revenue was

less reliant on municipal funding support.

3. Methods in this research

3.1 Field survey

In order to collect detailed environmental and economic data of the two selected

case natural reserve regions, field surveys were conducted in this research. In total, we

had made 2 visits to Xingkai Lake Biosphere Reserve and 3 visits to Miyun water


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source reserve. The survey content included the local reserve communities’ economic

condition, local residents living condition, data collection, stakeholder interviews and

the ecological and environmental protection proceedings et al. The information about

the field surveys was presented in Table 3.

Table 3 Visits to two case reserve regions for field survey

Time and duration Sites investigated Subjects of investigation

2010.10 4Days Miyun reserve Data collection, interviews with

enterprises and public organization

managers.

2011.04 5Days Miyun reserve Stakeholder assessment, interviews

with government department directors

and some residents, visit rural

wastewater treatment stations.

2011.06 12Days Xingkai Lake biosphere

reserve

Data collection, stakeholder interviews

and assessment.

2011.07 4Days Miyun reserve Discussion and revisit to stakeholders.

2011.08-09 15Days Xingkai Lake biosphere

reserve

Questionnaire to local residents and

revisit to stakeholders.

3.2 Field Propaganda

We also take this research as a good propaganda chance. We designed banner,

exhibition boards and handbills with information of the reserves and biodiversity

protection. These works let the residents in surrounding communities know well of

the reserve’s history, the UNESCO Man and Biosphere program, and the protection

target and regulations. The suggestion of participation in both local conservation and

economic development activities was also sprayed in the work. This propaganda

attracted local residents’ interests, we had chats with them and know details of local

living conditions and development.


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3.3 Stakeholder analysis and interviews

Stakeholders’ involvement was used as index for sustainable development

assessment in regional or national scale, or as model for providing the basis for

reforming current participatory and decision-making processes in sustainable

development. (Chan et al., 2010; Coelho et al., 2010; Paracchini et al., 2011; von

Geibler et al., 2010). Stakeholders refer to groups or individuals with resources or

organizational capacity to participate in an issue or decision-making processes and

affected by them, such as government officials, public organizations and community

residents, et al (Edelenbos et al., 2010; Slob et al., 2008).Stakeholders can be divided

into different categories based on research needs. Stakeholder analysis seeks to

recognize the extent of cooperation by analyzing different stakeholders involved in an

issue, it makes issues more visible and easier to find solutions. This method had been

introduced in environmental research and helped identify the participatory and role of

different stakeholders in environmental protection affairs(Chan et al., 2010;

McGlashan and Williams, 2003). Not acknowledging stakeholders’ roles will create

conflict situations that potentially compromise the decisions or development

implementation. Stakeholder analysis often consists of three steps, first to identify the

key stakeholders, then role assessment of different stakeholders was carried out with

indexes set, like impact and interest, and finally strategies and countermeasures for

problem solving were discussed based on analysis models, identifying how best to

engage stakeholders.

In this research, we conducted stakeholder analysis on sustainable development

in the two case reserve regions, focus was laid on local stakeholders. We thought

these stakeholders had more participation as well as willingness in communities’

development activities and directly benefit from balanced development than other

stakeholders outside of the region. 5 major and common stakeholder categories in the

two case reserve region development affairs were identified, including local

government, enterprise, resident, public organization and researcher. For each

category, representative stakeholders who had in charge of decision making or

directly participated in local conservation or economic activities were invited in face


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to face interviews, like government agency director, enterprise and organization

manager and researcher on these two reserve studies. We thought they had more

information and awareness of stakeholders’ participation in local development.

Interview guidelines were made and focus was laid on achievements of reserve

conservation and existing problems, local economic development explorations and

following “Twelfth Five-Year plan” on local conservation and development. The

demands as well as expectations of different stakeholders on the two natural reserve

communities’ sustainable development were also discussed in the interviews.

3.4 Stakeholders assessment

In former stakeholder analysis, stakeholders’ role was mostly qualitative assessed

or described, there are uncertainty in judging one stakeholder category. In the

stakeholder analysis of sustainable development issues, it will be more difficult to

judge one stakeholder category’ role and making realistic and objective assessment

from one side, the assessment will become complicated than project stakeholder

analysis. In this research we made a few improvements to the method and conducted

stakeholder analysis on sustainable development in the two case areas. We asked the

interviewed representative local stakeholders to participate in scoring assessment,

including local government, enterprise, resident, public organization and researcher

categories. Then scoring assessment was used for quantitative stakeholder analysis,

each interviewee was required to assess the role of the five stakeholder categories in

separate conservation development and economic development with 0-100 scores.

The role was characterized by impact and interest indexes. The impact referred to the

extent of a category had to control what decisions were made or facilitate the

development implementation. Interest referred to a stakeholder category’s care and

support for the development. This analysis helped get a profile of local stakeholders’

participation and we used the results for identifying the key stakeholder in separate

conservation and economic development and making recommendations for

stakeholders’ collaboration.


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Furthermore, we tried to use the obtained results to indicate stakeholder

categories role change trend and discuss measures for establishing stakeholder links in

transition to balanced development. Assessment score of each category was taken

average and labeled on the Impact /Interest grid. Different symbols were used to show

each category’s position in separate conservation or economic development. The

position movement from conservation development status to economic was used for

indicating stakeholder categories changing direction in transition to integrated

development, the move distance indicated the change extent and priority. Here we

defined a position movement direction into top-right grid as positive move, for its

impact and interest will increase. On the contrary, if the position of a category has an

opposite bottom-left direction negative move, attention and appropriate mechanism

should be considered on mitigating this change.

3.5 Communities household investigation

In order to propose a sustainable economic development model for the Xingkai

Lake biosphere reserve. We designed and conducted questionnaires in local

communities surrounding the reserve. Questionnaire content included household’s

basic information, income source, energy using and development participation, which

are 4 aspects of the model. We did face to face interviews to 206 households in 5

towns near the Xingkai Lake reserve (Dangbi, Baiyuwan, Chengzihe, Xingkai Lake

town and Xingkai Lake farm). In each town about 40 households were selected both

typically and randomly. Firstly we got to know the basic economic condition of the

town, and questionnaires were conducted both in rich and poor villages, and some

typical households, such as household which had successful renewable energy usage

or aquaculture which is unique in local communities were also investigated. Finally

we received 200 valid questionnaires for further data analysis.

3.6 Picture recording

We recorded this research and field investigation by photography, including the

field basic survey, reserve propaganda, stakeholder interviews and household


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questionnaires. At the same time, we recorded the beautiful landscape and

comfortable ecological condition of Xingkai Lake biosphere reserve and the Miyun

water source reserve regions. The person we encountered in the survey, the teamwork

of all our research partners, the hard work of the investigation, all these records

become great memory and acknowledgement. And it encouraged us to make even a

few contributions to natural reserves sustainable development. The pictures were

affiliated at the last section of this report.

4. Stakeholder assessment results and discussion

4.1 Assessment results of stakeholders in the Xingkai Lake biosphere reserve

In total 21 local representative stakeholders joined our interview and assessment,

including 7 local government agencies’ directors on reserve management, 2 public

organizations’ managers, 3 pillar enterprises’ executives on reserve and

environmental protection, 4 researchers study on Xingkai lake and wetland

conservation field and 5 local residents(reserve surrounding towns alcaldes).

Stakeholder assessment results were listed in figure 3, normality test was carried out

to test the representative of the results, most of the stakeholder categories’ results

were accord with normal distribution. The column range of a group showed the

assessment scores discrepancy, each category’s score were calculated mean value for

comparison and identified key stakeholder in separate conservation and economic

development.

In the Xingkai Lake reserve, most of the stakeholder categories had got high and

close mean value but with wide discrepancy in both ecological and economic

development assessment. The discrepancy was wider in conservation development

than in economic development assessment. This indicated that the role of different

local stakeholder categories can’t be clearly distinguished in the assessment. Local

government got the highest scores in both conservation and economic development,

this category was recognized as the most important stakeholder in local development.

Local resident had wider column in both economic and conservation assessment, its


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role seemed most varied recognized by the interviewees, it is suggested that more

participation mechanisms be designed to engage local resident in development affairs.

In ecological assessment, local government and researcher got higher scores in impact

and interest. They were important stakeholders in present local ecological

conservation. Other stakeholder types had lower scores. However, in economic

development, local government and enterprise had relatively high mean values, state

farm was the local pillar enterprises, its role on raising economic was recognized by

most of the interviewees. Following stakeholders were researcher, local resident and

public organization.

Fig.3 Stakeholder categories assessment results of Xingkai Lake biosphere reserve


20

Fig.4 Stakeholder categories’ role change analysis of the Xingkai Lake biosphere reserve

Furthermore, we marked the stakeholder categories mean value of separate

conservation and economic development on an Impact-Interest grid and tried to

indicate the trend of position move. As shown in figure 4, the solid symbols displayed

stakeholder categories position in local conservation development, hollow symbols

indicated in economic development. The goal of sustainable development in Xingkai

Lake reserve is to achieve an integrated development between conservation and

economy. Because it is hard to identify the ideal position of each category in the grid

when the integrated development will be achieved, we use the position of

conservation development as the start status, and the position of economic

development indicated the change direction and discussed the role change trend in the

transition to integrated development. In the transition all the stakeholder categories

had positive move trend but differed in moving distance. Local enterprise had a

comparative long distance, which implied it will be the important and priority

stakeholder type, more consideration and efforts will be needed to strengthen its role.

Local resident and public organization also had larger move, their participation in

conservation and economic should also be designed and increased. And for the local

government and researcher stakeholder categories, their impact will remain more

stable and their interest will had increased. How to increase their participation interest

is a consideration for forming sustainable development model.

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Imp

act

Interest

Local

government

Local enterprise

Local resident

Local

organization

Researcher


21

4.2 Assessment results of stakeholders in Miyun water source reserve

In the Miyun water source reserve, 20 local representative stakeholders in total

joined our interview and assessment, including 3 Miyun county government agencies’

directors, 4 pillar enterprises’ executives, 2 public organizations’ managers(NGO and

association), 3 researchers study on Miyun protection affairs and 8 local

residents(farmers and workers). Stakeholder assessment results were listed in figure 5,

normality test was also carried out and the majority stakeholder categories’ results

were in normal distribution. In this reserve region, stakeholder categories’ assessment

scores was more clearly divided. This was results from different interviewees

composition, and the different stakeholder participation conditions. It indicated that

when using this assessment method, it is not suitable to compare stakeholders in

different regions by their scores, the comparison between stakeholders should be in

the same region. Improvement of this method will be conducted in future studies.

In the conservation development assessment, the government category got

highest scores in impact and was also the key stakeholder in local development

decision making. Impact of public organization and resident categories were also

highly assessed. The researcher category mean value in this region was compared

lower but with a wider column range, this stakeholder’s impact on local conservation

was not highly recognized by all the interviewees in this region. However in

conservation interest scoring, the care and support of researcher category to

conservation was assessed higher mean value than other categories. Followed scoring

rank was public organization, government and resident categories. The enterprise

category was comparatively lower scored in both impact and interest in conservation

development. In the interview we known that local enterprises’ transition was

gradually processing, old pollution sources were shut down according to stricter

emission standard and regulations, environmental friendly ones were set up.

Environmental facilities such as wastewater treatment plants and air pollution control

devices were installed in recent years. Some local enterprises also gained profits from

production improvement and resources recycling. Although conservation

requirements increased the cost of enterprise operation, enterprise managers were


22

gradually becoming supportive to conservation and seeking opportunities in gaining

profits. In economic development scoring, local enterprise, government and resident

stakeholder categories ranked higher in mean value. Public organization and

researcher’ impact on economy development was less scored. In interest scoring, local

enterprises and government got similarly high mean value. The interest mean values

of most categories were higher in economic development than in conservation

development.

Fig. 5 Stakeholder categories assessment results of Miyun water source reserve

As shown in figure 6, in the transition from conservation to integrated

development, differentiation was exist between stakeholder categories, local

enterprise, resident and government categories had positive move trend, while public

organization and researcher’s role had negative move. The local enterprise category

had long distance move and will also be an important category in the transition, it

bore the tasks of environmental protection and economic profits in local development.

Local resident was also a priority stakeholder in transition, more engagement and

benefits in local development affairs will contribute to increase its role. Local


23

government will continue playing an important role in development decision-making

and supporting in Miyun. But this category’s impact seemed a decrease trend. On the

other hand, attentions should be paid to public organization and researcher categories

with more information but less direct participation in local development, and enhance

both their impact of decision making in future development policy making.

Fig. 6 Stakeholder categories’ role change analysis of Miyun water source reserve

4.3 Comparison of stakeholders’ participation in the two case reserve regions.

From the assessment results, the stakeholder categories in the two regions can’t

be compared directly by their scores. This was due to scoring difference of

interviewee composition and region differences. However we can compare the

important stakeholder types in the two case regions. Here we can make some

definitions to stakeholders’ collaboration. The types and amount of major stakeholders

in a region can be divided into different collaboration stages, the completely

stakeholders’ collaboration or integration in a reserve region’s sustainable

development can be deem as the final stage. And in the Xingkai Lake biosphere

reserve, the government played the major role in both conservation and economic

development, and other stakeholders’ role was comparatively less. This sole

stakeholder model can be defined as primary stage, and the governmental

administration was the major ways in reserve region management. And for the Miyun

reserve, besides governmental administration, local enterprise and researcher

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Imp

act

Interest

Localgovernment

Publicorganization

Local resident

Localenterprise

Researcher


24

stakeholder categories had become key stakeholders in some development, we can

define this kind of stakeholder integration development as middle stage. We think the

extent of stakeholder integration will formed different extent endogenetic power to

local sustainable development. And in policy making, countermeasures should be

considered for different stages. For the primary stage, to establish stakeholder links

between the dominant stakeholder category with the important stakeholder types in

transition will be priority. And for the middle stage conditions, we should focus on

establishing new links between key and important stakeholders as well as mitigating

the weakened trend of stakeholder categories, such as researcher and public

organization in the Miyun water source reserve. And the final goal was to achieve

stakeholders’ complete collaboration for sustainable development. Stakeholder

analysis is helpful for sustainable development, it helped recognize the participation

condition in the case reserves’ development, and can be used as a monitoring tool for

development and its change. In the following sections, we will discuss about effective

experiences in Miyun water source reserve and formed a sustainable economic

development model for the primary stakeholder integration stage Xingkai Lake

biosphere reserve region.

5. Effective explorations for stakeholders’ integration in Miyun

water source reserve

Stakeholder collaboration was identified as one driving factor for sustainable

development (Chan et al., 2010; Coelho et al., 2010; Paracchini et al., 2011). A

management framework involved of different stakeholders had experienced efficiency

and democracy in many watersheds management (Dieperink, 2000; Dungumaro and

Madulu, 2003; Jingling et al., 2010; Perkins). For achieving balanced development

goal in water source reserve as well as other conservation areas, we thought positive

collaboration of stakeholder categories will also forms one solid base for sustainable

development.


25

Stakeholder link referred to connections among stakeholder categories, including

interaction and collaboration activities. More links set up in a given development

issue will offer more opportunities for stakeholder involvement. The existed and

newly formed links can form a solid stakeholder base for sustainable development. As

in the middle stage of stakeholder integration, there are some experiences in

stakeholders integration in Miyun water source reserve, local stakeholders had some

efficient collaboration in achieving conservation and economic sustainable

development, stakeholder links among the local government, enterprise and resident

had been strengthened or established. And for the negative move trend stakeholder

categories, recommendations will also be made from establishing stakeholder links in

future development planning and implementation. These also offered reference for

Xingkai Lake biosphere reserve and other similar conservation areas.

5.1 Effective explorations for stakeholders’ collaboration

Through stakeholder interviews and data collection, three effective explorations

at Miyun water source were concluded.

5.1.1 Government and enterprise interaction-industrial structure and spatial

distribution transition

The Miyun county government and enterprises worked together in planning

industrial structure and spatial distribution change. Local government played a much

active role than supervisor in the past in economic development, farm and industrial

enterprises both participated through planning consultation and implemented with

government departments. Local industries’ integration and structure extension was an

efficient way in economic development. Agriculture was local traditional industry and

major income source to residents. In recent years, farms planted special agricultural

products and increased the products added value, such as organic foods, specialty

fruits and vegetables. The agriculture industry had been extended to tourism industry

and increased profits by using its ecological and cultural function, such as corn maze


26

landscape tourism, picking tourism. For industry, the majority of enterprises in local

communities was gathered in government designed eco-industrial park and increased

production chain among enterprises. High-tech and low pollution enterprises were

preferentially supported, like green food processing, textiles, electronic information

and biomedical production. Government and enterprises consultation were held on

optimizing industrial linkage between enterprises. Enterprises improved

environmental management through implementation of the ISO14000 certification, 90

enterprises in the park got the certification by 2009. Extension of industry to tourism

was also implemented, the rehabilitation of abandoned iron ore plant to a mining

museum helped boost industrial tourism. Tourism was a pillar industry, a Miyun

eco-brand initiative was raised in planning and actualized by operating all of its

ecological assets, like the mountain, water, fish and agriculture products. This brand

was also sprayed by celebrations and activities such as "Miyun eco-cultural festival",

"King Fisher Food Festival", "Farming Culture Festival", “Drinking water source

hiking” and so on. These activities raised local enterprises’ revenue, government

conservation funds and people's awareness on Miyun development. The county

industrial structure (primary: secondary: tertiary industry ratio) changed from

16:49:35 in 2002 to 13: 45: 42 in 2009(Beijing statistic bureau, 2002-2010).

Environmental protection industry and renewable energy were becoming a new

interest for local government and enterprises. Increasing water source protection as

well as rural waste treatment was driving factor and it also increased local

employment. Biogas from biomass utilization, solar and geothermal energy was

gradually used in the Miyun water source communities, the annual energy saving by

using renewable energy reached 113 thousand ton standard coal in 2007, and

equivalent to 408 thousand ton carbon dioxide emission reduction.


27

Fig.7 Spatial functional areas’ distribution plan in Miyun county.

Besides, functional areas were divided and industrial distribution was set

according to conservation zones (Fig.7). The upstream of the reservoir was set as

conservation development area, the exploration of natural mountain and agriculture

resources for tourism was speeded up. The eco-industrial park was arranged in the

southwestern downstream urban developing area, in which economic development

was stimulated and pressure on water source conservation was weakened. And along

the reservoir downstream ChaoBai River, exhibition, entertainment, leisure and other

tertiary industries were developed relying on good environmental conditions and

obtained economic profits.

5.1.2 Enterprises role transition-recycling economy

Local enterprise was an important category in transition according to analysis

result. In Miyun county recycling economy exploration helped enterprises achieve

pollution reduction target and got economic profits, which also strengthened

government and enterprise integrated development.


28

In the past three years, recycling economy involved enterprises increased

gradually in Miyun. By integrating production processes in and among enterprises,

energy and resource efficiency were improved, and profits were also raised through

production chain extension and waste recycling. An agricultural recycling park was

designed by local government, with 43.8 million RMB yuan total investment, to

comprehensive use of agricultural waste for biomass energy, such as straw biomass

gasification projects and biogas digesters for village usage. The Miyun metallurgical

company designed a 1.082 billion RMB yuan total investment production of mining

waste recycling for building materials and abandoned iron ore mining site restoration

for tourism (Mining museum and park). In the eco-industrial park, internal recycle

chain among enterprises was designed to reduce resources and energy input, the

energy usage was 0.22 ton standard coal per 10 thousand RMB added value in 2008,

much less than the standard published for eco-industrial parks in China(HJ

274-2009)(China Environmental protection administration, 2009). Local enterprises

as well as government departments were still working on extending the existing

industrial and agricultural production chain and closed-loop recycling, which is a

good promotion for environmental protection and industrial development.

5.1.3 Residents and government collaboration-environmental demonstration

creation and conservation jobs mechanism

Local residents earned their income mainly by farming or working in enterprises

in the past long time. Nowadays another choice was offered by local

government-conservation jobs. The Miyun county government established a capital

drinking water sources development strategy in 2001 and participated in national

environment demonstration creation. Then regulations were published, such as

“Miyun national ecological county development plan 2005-2020","Miyun ecological

county construction funds regulation", which set a management framework for

organization, funds, propaganda in demonstration creation. More than 30 billion RMB

yuan was input by Miyun county government in national ecological county


29

construction from 2005-2008, including local government expenditure and subsidies

from municipal and national government. This demonstration creation process

attracted local residents’ participation in conservation activities and raised income,

especially residents in reservoir surrounding communities. Conservation job positions

included the rural water management job, ecological forest protection job, community

waste treatment job. By local government statistic, in 2008 about 7,800 farmers

become ecological forest protection member, more than 1,700 farmers joined

community waste treatment, 1,000 farmers become rural water management staff,

each participator raised 5,000 RMB yuan per year. In 2009 Miyun successfully met

the ecological county standards and awarded the national ecological county

demonstration, now it join another national ecological civilization demonstrate

creation, which will further promote this government and resident interaction.

Meanwhile the ecological conservation concept, clean production, green consumption

and resources saving notions were also sprayed and accepted among local residents.

5.2 Negative move mitigation-establishing stakeholder links

For the stakeholder categories had negative move trend in transition, attention

and mitigation mechanisms should be considered in sustainable development planning

and implementation. Stakeholder links can be established or strengthened between

this category and key stakeholders. In the Miyun reserve region, public organization

and researcher categories had negative move trend. At present, these two categories

had more information and consultation in Miyun conservation development but less

on decision making participation. A mutual platform will be helpful in development

planning and implementation. Periodic consultation mechanism that including all

local stakeholder category representatives can be considered for exploration,

especially contain public organization and researcher. Joint governance committee,

symposia, seminar were effective forms for stakeholders participation, planning and

activities on balanced development can be discussed for improvement and decided.


30

Meanwhile, we can set up stakeholder links connecting this two categories with

local government, enterprise and resident categories. In development implementation,

consultation, technology transfer as well as information diffusion activities can be

conducted to enterprise and resident categories, this will also promote development

and make its role widely recognized. Another successful stakeholder link formed

between local enterprise and resident was Beijing Water Conservation foundation

(one public organization), which established in Miyun 2009, half of the fund was

contributed from enterprises and tourism income, and the fund was used for

conducting water conservation activities and awarding participators, especially the

residents in reservoir surrounding and upstream communities. It is also a stakeholder

link promoted by market operation instead of government regulation.

6. Stakeholders collaboration based sustainable economic

development model for Xingkai Lake biosphere reserve

From the stakeholder analysis, the stakeholder integration was in primary stage

in Xingkai Lake biosphere reserve. Local government and researcher were

comparatively key stakeholders in conservation and economic development, the local

enterprise, resident and public organization was identified in priority as important

stakeholders in the transition. It is believed that stakeholder collaborations can form a

solid base for sustainable development. In this research, we tried to propose one

sustainable economic development model for the Xingkai Lake biosphere reserve,

with stakeholder links established and their collaboration strengthened. We did field

investigation in the reserve surrounding communities, in order to know the detailed

condition of local economic and conservation. In this sustainable economic

development model, 4 aspects was proposed according to local condition, including

the cultivation and improvement of local industry, development of renewable energy,

establishment of ecological subsidy and information diffusion mechanism.

Stakeholder integration was analyzed and links can be established and improved their

participation in the aspects. The goal of this model was increasing local economic


31

output, raising resident income, promotion of the stakeholders’ collaboration and

providing feedback to conservation from economic development. As the number of

local enterprise and public organization stakeholders was rare, local resident, which

role assessment scores had the greatest variance, was identified as the most important

stakeholder in the transition to balanced conservation and economic development,

they are also major participator and gaining benefits in local communities sustainable

development.

As shown in Fig.8, Xingkai Lake biosphere reserve local communities’

development is mainly a “blood donation type”. Economic development was to some

extent restricted due to strict regulations. Governments put in a large amount of fund

into basic infrastructure, management and tourism facilities construction, ecological

conservation and rehabilitation. In the past 8 years, national and provincial

governmental investment in the reserve reached 50million RMB yuan and local Jixi

government fund was about 20million, including infrastructure and conservation

improvement fund, wet land ecological benefit compensation and forest ecological

benefit compensation et al. The governmental Xingkai Lake management committee

was in charge of fund allocation to local government and state farms. Besides these

funds, support was also raised from a few foreign organizations, including GEF

support on the Xingkai Lake ecological conservation research, Asian Development

Bank support on the resident migration project in the reserve core area. Local

production activities were residents’ agriculture production, agriculture and tourism

was the main local industry.

In the field investigation, we conducted household interviews in the reserve

surrounding communities, 206 households in the reserve surrounding 5 towns was

invited in our interview, the survey content was focused on the four aspects, by

analyzing the results, discussion and recommendations were addressed for future

sustainable development exploration as follows.


32

Fig.8 Proposed aspects and stakeholder links of the sustainable economic development in

Xingkai Lake Biosphere reserve communities

( Exist link ; Established link )

National,

Provincial

Government

Researcher

Local

Enterprise

Local

Resident

Public

organization

Xingkai Lake

committee

Information

diffusion

Local

Government

Agriculure

industry

development

Renewable

energy

Ecological

subsidy

International

organization

Plan and policy

Consultation

Informatio

n diffusion

Household usage

Propaganda

and subsidy

Mechanism

design

Work

organization

Knowledge and

technology

Work

organization

Fund and project

investment

Fund and

research

Mechanism

design

Centralized

usage

Raw material

offer


33

6.1 Industrial cultivation and improvement

Increasing the economic output and income was the common expectation of

local stakeholders. The most important and efficient way is cultivation and

improvement local industry, and this exploration can establish local stakeholders’

links and making benefits from development. We surveyed the economic condition of

households in the surrounding communities. As fig.9 shown, about a half of

interviewed households income was from agricultural planting and work, the work

included work in local area(24%) and migrant work to outside cities(26%).

Agricultural production is the major production activities in local communities, rice,

corn and vegetables was planted in most of the households. Local service and retail,

tourism and aquaculture were also income source, but the proportion was

comparatively less. On the amount of annual income, about 70% of the households’

income was below 40,000 RMB yuan, and half of the household expenditure was

within 30,000 RMB yuan, most of the income was spent on purchasing of foods,

agricultural production fertilizer and pesticide. Meanwhile we surveyed the preferred

income increase ways, nearly 50% local communities’ households preferred

increasing income from recent agriculture planting and enlarge its scale. About 20%

households would like to aquaculture of livestock, poultry and fish. Local service and

retail, migrant work was also preferred as income increase method for some local

families.

Based on the results, we suggest the cultivation and improvement of local

industry is urgent need, and the agriculture industry is the priority, modern agriculture

and organic agriculture can be introduced to local communities. The large area of

cultivated land, excellent environmental condition, water, high organic level soil types

were all advantaged conditions for agriculture improvement. Agricultural products

processing zone can be considered to establish and gather enterprises in local

communities, this will added value to local products and cultivated local industrial

works. Agriculture industry can also extend to local tourism, such as products picking,


34

facilities and landscape visiting. Agricultural recycling production can be introduced

in accordance with agriculture development, it can help reduce solid waste of

agriculture production and provided added valued products, for example, the manure

of aquaculture, straw of planting can be used as raw material of biogas and biomass

renewable energy. Biological material, such as enzyme, can be extracted and recycled

as products by biotechnology et al. Local stakeholders’ integration can be improved in

this process. Local governmental plan will guide the industry improvement, support

policies of land using, fiscal policy, technology policy, investment policy and

management policy may facilitate agriculture industry development. Meanwhile, as

an important stakeholder, researcher can also participated in this process, including

works of forming effective organic agriculture models and selection of safe organic

fertilizer and pesticide. And due to lack of organic agriculture knowledge in local

communities, researcher can form a link between government and residents in

implementing industry cultivation, related technology and knowledge diffusion can be

effective forms in participation.

Fig.9 Household income condition in Xingkai Lake biosphere reserve local communities

(200 households)

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Household Income source


35

6.2 Renewable energy development

The recommendation of agriculture development in Xingkai Lake reserve

surrounding communities will boost local economic development, at the same time it

will also bring the risks of agriculture waste and non-point source pollution. In order

to achieve integrated economic and environmental development, the development of

biogas renewable energy was proposed as a combination of agriculture industry

development in local communities based on local condition. It can reduce the energy

cost of local residents, also it will improve the environmental condition and reduce

non-point pollutions. In the household questionnaire, we surveyed the energy using

condition in local communities and made suggestions to the problems of renewable

energy application.

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

Annual Household

Income and Expediture Unit:RMB yuan

Income

Expediture

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%Prefered income increase way


36

As shown in table 4, of the interviewed households, only 11 households were

using biogas, these biogas was established under government propaganda. Some of

the biogas pool in the interviewed households was stopped using due to lack of raw

material and technic problems. Most of the collected aquaculture manure were

collected and feed back to field, this proportion was also high in the treatment of

household manure. Most of the household manure was untreated, due to the simple

and drought toilet facilities. Also we surveyed the households’ attitude to biogas

usage(Fig.10), about 47% households were not known of biogas, and 14% local

households know that biogas was good for environment and saving energy. However,

there are still some hindrances for biogas usage in local communities, including high

construction cost for household, lack of technic support and service, and lack access

to raw material. We suggested that middle or large scale biogas may be more suitable

for local condition. These new and centralized energy facilities may help reduce the

construction cost and easier to offer technic support, raw material can be collected or

bought from a certain geographic range of households. Researcher and technic experts

can also join in this process through facilitating the diffusion of knowledge and

technology. Other types of renewable energy were comparatively less used in the local

region, such as biomass and solar power, partially due to higher construction cost.

Subsidy mechanism for the renewable energy development will also be a

consideration in local government plan. Local government, researcher and residents

can form stakeholder links in local renewable energy development.

Table.4 Household treatment of aquaculture and living manure.

Treatment of aquaculture manure

(66 households)

Treatment of household manure

(200 households)

Not treated 6% Not treated 37%

Collection to field 82% Collection to field 32%

Collection to sell 5% Washed to sewer 32%

Collection to biogas 8% Collection to biogas 0%


37

Fig.10 Households’ attitude to biogas usage in local communities (200 households)

6.3 Ecological subsidy willingness of local communities’ residents

At present, local communities’ residents get agriculture subsidies according to

their cultivated land area and production conditions, including agriculture machine

subsidy, seed and oil subsidy. Ecological conservation participation and related

subsidy was not formed in local communities. In order to establish participated

mechanism in future sustainable economic development, we surveyed the local

residents’ ecological subsidy willingness, including their willingness of subsidy, the

way and amount of subsidy. As shown in figure 11, the majority of the interviewees

thought ecological subsidy is preferable, this will increase household income, and

improved their motivation in participation local conservation activities. About 50% of

the interviewed households thought the annual subsidy within 2400 RMB yuan will

be suitable. And about 47% households thought the directly cash subsidy way is more

preferred, indirect Non-cash way and combined subsidy way accounted for about 30%.

And in the preferred Non-cash way choice, local households was more preferred the

opportunities of development other than supply of products. The most preferred way

was government infrastructure construction, development plan and policy for

household income increase. Work arrangement was the third preferred choice, some

interviewees would like to get paid by the work amount. So in future sustainable

High construction

cost, 18%

Lack of raw material, 8%

Equipments aging or broken,

4% Lack of technic support, 11%

Good for environment

and health, 11%

Saving energy and application,

3% Others, 2%

Not known, 47%


38

economic development, we recommended that ecological conservation and subsidy

mechanisms can be considered and explored by local government, it can be an

effective way of improving local residents’ participation and income. This mechanism

can also form stakeholder links between local government and residents. New

stakeholders can be introduced in, for example enterprise and public organization can

be introduced in the mechanism, and exploring the non-governmental subsidy

mechanisms.

Fig. 11 Ecological subsidy willingness of households in local communities.(200 households)

0%

10%

20%

30%

Expected ecological subsidy annual

amount unit: RMB yuan

Cash, 47%

Non-cash,

5%

Combined,

28%

Not known,

21%

Way of ecological subsidy


39

6.4 Requirements of knowledge and information diffusion

In the sustainable development of Xingkai Lake biosphere reserve, the diffusion

of information, such as knowledge and technology, will be an important aspect for

development, it is the work duty of local government, responsibility of researcher as

well as requirements of residents and enterprises. Taken the present conservation

information as example, the present information diffusion was insufficient in local

communities and local government was the main participator. Some periodic

propaganda of bird and environmental protection were conducted in local

communities. In order to enhance information diffusion in the sustainable

development model, we investigated the conservation related activities which local

residents participated and their willingness of conservation information, and made

some recommendations on information diffusion content and ways. From the figure

12, tree planting was the most participated activities, followed by protection facilities

construction activities. However the protection related activities in local agriculture

production was less. Households which use organic fertilizer and pesticide were lower,

traditional fertilizer and pesticide was popular in local agriculture production. One of

the reasons was that most of the residents did not know much about these agriculture

resources. Safe control of solid waste and manure activities was the least conducted

Government

plan and

infrastructure

construction,

49%

Land

compensation,

9% Work

arrangement,

30%

Household

migration, 9%

Supply of

production

materials and

tool , 10% Supply of

living

materials, 22%

Government

incentive

policies, 29%

Others/Not

known, 4%

Prefered Non-Cash subsidy ways


40

activities by the interviewed households. Household garbage and agriculture waste is

a big problem in the rural communities, and related knowledge and control

technology need to be introduced in future development.

Fig.12 Household conservation activities participation condition (200 households)

Table.5 Household conservation information requirement willingness (200 households)

Information percent Information percent

Local Policy 51% Technology 20%

Laws and

regulations

19% Local construction and

facilities

34%

Works 12% Others 6%

Table.6 Household channels of information diffusion (200 households)

Channel Percent Channel percent

TV 94% Market 18%

Newspaper 22% Radio 6%

Internet 32% Phone 5%

Relative，Friends,

Neighbor

38% Corporate

Propaganda

5%

Children 29% Visiting 3%

Government or

techinic official

9% Others 1%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%


41

Furthermore, we survey the household conservation information requirements

(Table. 5), local protection policy was the most want to know information to half of

the households, local construction and environmental facilities condition was also the

most want to know information, but for 34% households. Comparatively less

households take the protection related technology, laws and regulations and works as

the most want to know information. The most used channels of information diffusion

included TV, internet, newspaper and communication with relatives and

neighbors(Table.6). Local government and researcher can form links with local

residents in the information diffusion activities, local enterprises and public

organization stakeholder can be introduced in lately. Conservation information can be

both diffused through production and living activities. And for the chat is an

important information channel, demonstration creation can be set up in local

communities, such as technologies of organic agriculture, modern agriculture

production and renewable energy development, and organizing visits and

communication to local residents.

7 Conclusion

Natural reserve regions are usually under strict conservation regulations both in

China and worldwide. The dilemma of achieving balanced and sustainable

conservation and economy development in the local communities is a prominent

problem. In this research we studied this issue from stakeholder perspectives.

Stakeholder interviews and analysis were carried out in the case areas- Heilongjiang

Xingkai Lake biosphere reserve and Beijing Miyun water source reserve. From the

stakeholder integration perspective, the Miyun water source reserve development is in

an advanced stage compared to the Xingkai Lake reserve, local stakeholder categories

other than government had showed their positive role in local development. And some

effective explorations in Miyun reserve was concluded which established or

strengthened stakeholder links and promoted local integrated environmental and

economic development. Then a sustainable economic development model was


42

proposed for Xingkai Lake biosphere reserve, based on local condition and

stakeholders’ collaboration, included four aspects of the cultivation and improvement

of local industry, development of renewable energy, establishment of ecological

subsidy and information diffusion mechanism. Household surveys were conducted in

these aspects and the results were analyzed and proposed recommendations for the

model operation. We believed the connection and collaboration among the stakeholder

categories can form one solid base for sustainable development. Stakeholder analysis

is an efficient tool for diagnosing participation and different stakeholders’ role in

sustainable development, it offers a new perspective for finding future solutions. We

hoped this research can offer some good reference for exploring conservation and

economy balanced development at communities surrounding conservation regions.

Conservation shall not become a burden to sustainable development but shall be a

catalyst for different stakeholder categories’ collaboration to achieve a win-win

outcome.


43

Acknowledgements

The author thanks the UNESCO MAB Young Scientist Award for supporting this

research, and the kind help from MAB National Committees of China, UNESCO

Beijing Office. Thanks also give to my research partners, Yanyun Liu,Yabin Hou,

Qiang Li, we collaborated well for achieving this research target. We thanked the

warm consultation and guidance from Mr. Yi Zhijun, Mr. Taojin, Mr. Huang Xuzhong,

Mr. Liu Zhonggang, Mr. Liu Zhengkai, Prof. Su Jinbao, Prof. Huang Puwei, Prof. Liu

Manhong and Ms. Chen Yang. Thanks were also given to our kind interviewees in the

implementation of field investigation, including interviewees from Heilongjiang

Environmental Protection bureau, Heilongjiang Agriculture Reclamation burea

Mudanjiang branch and farms, Heilongjiang Forest Sciences Academy and

Environmental Sciences Academy, Jixi city government Environmental bureau and

Forest bureau, Xingkai Lake Biosphere Reserve management committee, Jixi

University, Beijing Miyun county Environment bureau and Forest bureau, Tourism

Association, Miyun Water Conservation foundation, Miyun Metallurgical company,

Minyun eco-industrial park enterprises et al. The interviewed households in Xingkai

Lake biosphere reserve communities had offered warm acceptance and great help.

Thanks were given to all these kind persons and their help for our research activities.


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Affiliations

1. Related Papers

Haiqian Li, Exploration of conservation and economy integrated development at

drinking water source–a case of Beijing Miyun reservoir drinking water source, China.

International Symposium of Urban Futures and Human and Ecosystem Wellbeing,

Accepted, 2011.

Haiqian Li, Achieving conservation and economy integrated development in

biosphere reserves communities-a stakeholder analysis on China Xingkai Lake

biosphere reserve, Finished.

2. Pictures

(1) Field survey

Miyun water source reserve region landscape A modern agriculture base in Miyun

Myun mining restoration museum Miyun rural MBR wastewater treatment facilities


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Xingkai Lake Biosphere reserve a landscape A local fishing household

A local tourism household A local planting household

(2) Field propaganda


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(3) Stakeholder interviews and assessment

(4) Household interviews


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(5) Research teamwork

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