A Practical Framework for the Assessment and Management of Natural Capital in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Wanglin YAN

Keio University

JAPAN

Contents

Background and Purposes

Natural Capital as a key concept for Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Framework designing for assessing and managing Natural

Capital

Issues and conditions for implementing the framework in

Qinghai

Future works

1. Background and Purposes

China’s National Goal

Constructing a somewhat all-out abundant society

National GDP: 4 times by 2020

=4000US$ per capital

The Western Development Strategy brings a millennium chance for people in Western Regions

A chance which people in western regions have awaited for long.

A challenge which they have never before experienced .

Challenges in Western Development

Conflicts between environment conservation and economic development “Forestation Program” does not insure

improvement of peasants’ income and living conditions.

Conflicts between resource development and improvement of life to local people.Without local industrial bases, resource

development may not bring much benefits to local residents

Purposes of Our Project

Using Natural Capital as a key concept to build a sustainable development strategy for balancing environment conservation, economic development and improvement of human well-being.

Designing a framework for practicing the strategy.

Clarifying issues and conditions for applying the framework in Qinghai Province.

2. Natural Capital as a key concept for Development

Natural Ecosystems must be a fundamental factor in market economy

Social CapitalRoads, Harbors and Airports etc.

Industrial CapitalFinance, Factories and

Equipment etc.

Human CapitalLabors, Knowledge and

skill etc.

NatureClean air, pure water and

fertilized soil etc

Economic Society

Natural CapitalClean air, pure water and

fertilized soil etc

Total value of ecosystem services supporting lives on the earth

Value of Ecosystem services of the Earth

Robert Costanza et al, The value of the world’s ecosystem services and natural capital, Nature, Vol. 387, 253-260, 1997

Part of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau as hotspot of Biodiversity of the Earth

Source ： Hilary French, 2000, Vanishing Borders, A Worldwatch book, Norton

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the water tower of Asia

Source: Microsoft Encarta 2003

Water Heads of Asian Rivers

Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Qinghai

Tibet

Sichuan

Yunnan

Contrast of the environment in the Plateau

Using Natural Capital for conservation and development of the plateau

Huge ecosystem services in fountain regions: Water resources, highland ecosystems, traditional cultures

Natural Capital could be traded in market for fundraising: Trade of natural capital is not the trade of nature itself but natural ecosystem services.

It is a key issue for the plateau to draw out the potential of the ecosystems and make it to be a driving force for social development.

3. Framework Designing for Assessing and Managing Natural

Capital

Basic Considerations

Technologies (GIT, ICT)

Local Knowledge

Scientific Methods (Models)

Performance (Multi-Scale)

Participation (Network)

Un

ders

tan

din

g th

e

Ecosyste

ms

Assessin

g th

e E

cosyste

m

serv

ices

Makin

g P

olic

ies a

nd

Leg

isla

tion

s

Esta

blis

hin

g M

ark

et

Mech

an

ism

s

Stages

Facto

rs

Products

Fieldwork

Framework for assessment and management of Natural Capital

Inventorying Assessing Managing Marketing

Network

Sensing

Mapping

Monitoring

Interviewing

Documenting

Sampling

Scaling

Zoning

Overlaying

Accounting

Protecting

Restoring

Rebuilding

Planning

Developing

MethodMedia Model Mechanism

Ecosystems Services CapitalEcotopes

Well-beingSpatial Data Ecomaps Policies

Applying

Exchanging

Certifying

Funding

Reinvesting

Projections

Procedures

Processes

Products

Participation Involvement of Communities, Local and Central Governmental Sectors, World-wide NGOs and Academicians

Features of the framework: Integration

Integration of images, maps, documents, local

knowledge by multi-media

Integration of multi-scale scientific methods by

zoning, sampling and scaling

Integration of technologies, scientific methods, policy

making procedures and market mechanism

Integration of fieldworks for practicing and networks

for participating

4. Issues for Implementing the Framework in Qinghai

Inventorying the information resources and monitoring the

environment

Establishing an innovative inventorying and monitoring systems in the highland with low cost and high performancemodern satellite observation networks

Observing and monitoring the ecosystems in multi-resolution

reasonable ground observation networksAutomatically collecting in situ environment data

grassroots human networksgathering local knowledge of natural ecosystems and cultures

Receiving contemporary scientific knowledge and information service

Integration of geographic information and local knowledge

MODIS image SRTM DEM Data

Ladnuse map by GRID

In situ data

Local knowledge

Assessing the ecosystem services of the highland

Production services (the highland specific goods) peculiar plant and animal resources in the highland serving as

healthy food and medicinal resources.

Regulation services (balance of water and atmosphere) ecosystems of the highland control the climate of Asian and

impose great impacts on the environment of the planet.

Habitat services (specific biological diversity) there live a lot of valuable animals and plants which are

irreplaceable as genome bank and biodiversity resources.

Information services (culture, religions and tourism) beautiful natural landscape, various ethnic customs and

traditional religious cultures in the plateau are worthy resources of human being and with potential for developing traveling industry.

Yokohama CityArea: 300km2

Population: 3,000,000

With Green Master Plan

Tsuzuki WardArea: 25km2

Population: 140,000

With well-designed green matrix

Sample Site:Area: 40haPopulation:100

Homogenous land use zone

Latest Satellite Images

Thematic Maps

Land use

Geology

Geomorphology

Vegetation

Aero photograph & Field

High resolution aero- photographInventories of treesImpervious surfaces….

City ecomap

District ecomap

Value of trees in the site

Land cover classification

Eco-topeDefinition & GIS overlay

Ecosystem services of trees

Study area selection Ecological and geographic information

GIS-based operation

Ecosystem services of trees in the ward

Ecosystem services of trees in the city

Output

Expansion to the ward

Expansion to the city

Block ecomap

Tracing the canopies and inventoryingtrees

Method for Assessing Ecosystem Services by GIS

Making policies for conservation and development

Ecological systems Social Systems

Spatial Planning

Information Systems

Restoration Social Development

Natural Databases・ Satellite images・ In situ data・ Map data

Social databases・ Population・ Industry・ CultureEcosystems and Human

interaction analysis・ global changes’ impact・ local activities’ impact

Ecological ZoningSocial renewingUrbanization

Land use simulation

Land use allocation・ developing・ urbanization

Environment Planning Social Legislation

Digital Asia Network

Understanding the highland ecosystems

Understanding the highland social systems

Public Involvement

Establishing the mechanism for trading ecosystem services (eg. CO2)

Emission right buyer Emission right seller

Overload

Domestic company C

Em

ission

right

Tra

de

com

pan

ies

Domestic company A

Company B aboard

Cut

Real emission

Goal

CutSale

Sale

Goal->

Real emission

Begins from 2005 in Japan

Real emission

Goal

China Needs Ecosystem Services Trading Mechanism like CDM?

There exist public consciousness on ecosystem service trading in China.

Central government and eastern people don’t expect production of timber and pasture but ecosystem services of regulation and information.

Who should pay for the costs of afforest in western regions? Without any compensation, why do we ask the western peasants endure the poor living condition.

Ecosystem service trading mechanism will link the constructors of environment and the consumers of ecosystem services. This could increase incentive of people for environment restoration and conservation.

5. Resources and conditions for implementing the framework in Qinghai at

present

The Peculiar Geographic Location and the Highland Ecosystems

Qinghai has advantages to investigate, to evaluate, and to manage the Natural Capital prior to western provinces and districts.

Nearly half of Qinghai Province is enclosed in Sanjuangyuan Natural Protection Zone.

The vulnerable ecosystems in the highland are not suitable for large-scale industrial development.

Tibetans are not welcome any dramatic changes of lifestyles.

Therefore, searching for ecosystem services trading between the highland and other regions becomes the most reasonable choice for Qinghai, especial the southern Qinghai.

Research Resources

Qinghai University, supported by Chinese Ministry of Education, has equipped with basic education and research facilities, and has achieved a workable level in the investigation, management and assessment of the highland environment.

The scientific team of Chinese Academy of Science has investigated the highland for 50 years, and accumulated abundant findings and information on the ecosystems there.

Earth Observation Satellites, Information and Communication Technologies offer systems for investigating and monitoring the wild land in high speed and low cost.

Chinese Government’s Supports

A China, opening to the world more and more, secures basic condition for international collaborations.

The Great Western Development Strategy and the desire of Chinese people for having greenery national land promise the possibility for introducing the market mechanism of ecosystem service trading.

Chinese Government and Chinese scientists have engaged in "Millennium Assessment" project. Their experience is helpful for implementing the framework in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

International Collaboration Network

The international exchanges of Qinghai University are active in recent years

An international network with environmental experts who are willing to contribute to the development and conservation of the highland is established.

This network, correspondent to the calling from the Embassy of China in Tokyo and the auspices of Chinese Education Ministry, is working functionally as a node for assisting Qinghai with resources abroad.

Keio University’s COE Project

Keio University, one of the most famous university in Japan has started the project under the auspices of the Japanese Government's 21 Century Center of Excellence (COE) Program, "Policy Innovation Initiative: Human Security Research in Japan and Asia" since 2003, in which the collaboration of China and Japan on environment policy is a key issue in the coming five years.

Even before the COE project, Keio University has done many collaborative works with China such as afforest in Kangping County, Liaoning Province and Tongliao City in Inner Monglia Autonomous District.

These projects aim to assess the effect of absorption of CO2 by afforest and to explore the possibility to build the scheme for economic development by CDM.

Networks from Local to International

Counties in the heart of the Plateauresidents, local governments, NGOs

Xining City:Provincial Government, Qinghai University

Beijing: Central Government, Chinese Academy, Universities

Japan:Embassy of China and Keio University

International societyAcademic Organizations: UNU in Tokyo, MA NGOs: ICRSE (USA), Plateau Perspective (Canada),

International Experts for Assisting China Western (Japan)

Further Actions

Practicing the framework with the support of KEIO’s COE Project

Implementing the framework in local counties and Xining City

Setting up research center in Xining and sub-center in the upper highland, like Zhiduo County

The Water Head of Yellow River

You are welcome to join us to practice this new strategy for sustainable development at the unique site on the

planet.