| International Seminar on Sustainable Development of the Yangtze River Basin
The upper reaches of Yangtze River are an important ecological area having a profound influence on the environmental health of the waters of China . Efforts undertaken for the conservation and rehabilitation of the ecosystem on the upper reaches of the Yangtze are of vital importance to alleviate natural disasters to maintain the ecological balance of the Yangtze River watershed, to ensure the ecological security of the whole nation, and to achieve China 's socioeconomic development goals. Despite great efforts by governmental entity at various levels and of the people living in the Yantze watershed, the quality of the environment continues to degrade at an ever accelerating rate. The paramount challenge we face is to arrest the degradation of the Yantze watershed conservation of the ecosystem versus economic development are parts of a trade-off necessary to balance the interest of the various Yantze watershed stakeholders. Currently an effective mechanism to balance these conflicting interests is lacking. The seminar provided a forum for the public to contribute their input concerning sustainable development of the Yantze. More than thirty senior faculty members from the universities of Tianjing, Shanghai , Sichuan , Chongqing , Guizhou , Tibet , Yunnan , and 120 other attendees including representatives from local government departments, institutes enterprises, NGOs and members of the media participated in the seminar.
Participants called for the institutionalization of a system for all people to participate in the conservation and rehabilitation of the Yantze River basin ecosystem.
Participants proposed the formation of the forum of the Yantze River Basin Sustainable Development by universities from the southwestern provinces. The forum will function as an information exchange center and will help formulate appeals to the government in regard to water related environmental issues.
The Yangtze River Basin Sustainable Development Forum An Initiative Agreement approved by participants of 11 May Seminar 12 May 2002
• The members of the forum: The following persons are proposed representatives from each university in southwestern provinces of China ? Chen Yongsong General Project manager of Yunnan EcoNetwork ? Prof. Zhang Mingju from southwestern Normal University ? Prof. Wang Yiqian from Sichuan University ? Prof. Shen Shiquan from Guizhou University ? Prof. Ding Linghui from Tibet University ? Prof. Lu Zhaohe from Yunnan University
• The corporate unite of the forum ? <The Idelogy Front> journal Yunnan University ? <Science Stories of World Wide Water Watch > journal under The Bureau of Science and Technology Yunnan Province ? <The Ecological Economy> journal under the Education Committee, Yunnan Province ? < The Comments on the Development of Western Provinces> journal, Sichuan University ? < The Health and Education> journal under the Health Department Yunnan Province
• proposed coordination location All the representatives recommended Mr. Chen Yongsong as the secrwtary of the forum.The coordination office location is in Yunnan Province . Yunnan EcoNetwork would be entrusted as a coordination agency of the forum.
• The proposed action initiatives of the forum will be followed by ? The issues of the karst (desert) regions. Guizhou University ? The issues of the Ecological Migratiion . Sichuan University ? The Rehabilitation of Ecological Economic Zone in Three-Gorge Project Area. Southwestern Normal University
• The assignment of the forum The above-mentioned three universities were assigned to work out detailed proposals respectively on the three issues. The proposals will be required to send to the coordination office of the Forum- TEN. The forum will make a final decision on it.
Promotion Workshop on Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Development in the Southwest China 29-30 November, 2002
Topics: ? The Building of Yangtze River Watershed SD Forum (YRWSDF) ? YRWSDF Mission ? Action Plan
Action Plan Session Mr. Chen Yongsong ? Participants reconfirmed the Yangtze River Watershed Sustainable Development Forum (YRWSDF) ? Confirmed the mission of the YRWSDF as ˇ°promotion of Sustainable Development of the Yangtze River Watershedˇ± ? One of the approaches of the workshop is the YRWSDF mandates YEN to set up an implementation agency under the forum ? Participants agreed that YRWSDF opens its door wider for these who would like to make contact, link and even contributions to the forum.
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