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I. Industry Support and Talent Development — Sustainable Support for Conservation Actions
In 2023, the Shan Shui Foundation launched a small grant program to support promising partner organizations in exploring ecological conservation efforts. From 2023 to 2024, the program funded six projects focusing on citizen science, species conservation, and climate change adaptation. These projects are all located outside protected areas and aim to explore the potential of different types of Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECMs).
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Project Title |
Project Description |
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Wild Optics Valley |
Supporting Wuhan Leba Nature in conducting a biodiversity survey of Wuhan Optics Valley through citizen science, fostering a group of skilled nature enthusiasts who are passionate about and attentive to nature. The survey results will provide baseline data on biodiversity in Optics Valley and support future conservation efforts. |
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River Tern Population Conservation and Habitat Protection |
Supporting Tongbiguan Provincial Nature Reserve in protecting and surveying the only stable breeding ground for River Terns in China. |
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Voices for Otters |
Supporting Wild Xinjiang in conducting surveys and monitoring of Eurasian otters, while promoting ecological conservation and community development centered around Salbura Town. The project also collaborates with Wild Xinjiang to train one trainee. |
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Yellow River Source Community Climate Monitoring |
Supporting the Plateau Nature Conservancyr in organizing herders from three nomadic communities around Mount Animaqing to participate in snowline monitoring. The project investigates and records local herders’ perceptions of climate change and their response actions, while exploring the coping strategies of communities heavily dependent on natural resources in the context of climate change. The project also collaborates with Plateau Nature Conservancy to train one trainee. |
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Gaoligong Hoolock Gibbon Conservation and Nature Education Exploration |
Supporting Tongbiguan Provincial Nature Reserve and Yunshan Conservation in conducting population distribution surveys of the gibbons. The project also aims to raise awareness about species conservation and community sustainable development in gibbon distribution areas, enhancing the effectiveness of gibbon conservation efforts. |
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Yinggehai Protected Area Community Capacity Building |
。Yinggehai Town, located in the Lingshui Li Autonomous County of Hainan Province, is rich in biodiversity. The residents of Xincun are willing to protect their traditional culture and ecological environment and have initiated discussions on the vision, roadmap, organizational structure, and current state of natural resources and culture for establishing a community conservation area. This project plans to support Yinggehai in conducting community bird surveys, camera trap monitoring, and educational programs to raise community awareness, laying the foundation for the development of the community protected area. |
II. Shan Shui Research Institute — Experience Compilation and In-depth Research on Conservation Issues
The Reasearch Institute was established with the aim of both summarizing and consolidating the years of field experience from conservation practitioners, and responding to industry needs through topic-specific research. It provides project evaluations and data analysis, offers investment guides for the sector or funding fields, and produces industry research reports. On the other hand, the Institute also supports researchers in engaging with nature to conduct ongoing studies on conservation strategies, actions, and outcomes, helping practitioners to better understand conservation issues. In 2023, the Institute began preparing research reports.
Case Study Report on Climate Change Risk Management in Pastoral Areas
(Report Link: Download PDF)
Climate change has had a particularly significant impact on arid and semi-arid grassland areas in China, posing many challenges to the herding communities in these regions. This report examines the effects of climate change from the perspective of pastoral populations, exploring how, based on centuries-old traditions of adapting to climate fluctuations, herders are responding to and managing climate risks in the modern era. It also looks at how policies, markets, and the natural environment interact with and shape these efforts.
The report focuses on three case study locations: the Gyatong Grassland in Yushu, Qinghai; the Nyanpo Yutse in Golog, Qinghai; and the Dengkou County in Inner Mongolia. Through these stories, the report seeks to explore community development pathways and offers insights into how external stakeholders and policymakers can better understand and assist these communities in adapting to future challenges.
III. Special Funds
According to the “Special Fund Management Measures” of the Foundation, the Foundation welcomes collaboration with all sectors of society to jointly establish special funds through donations and other means, to contribute to environmental conservation and promote the development of public welfare in China.
Shan Shui Community Conservation Special Fund
In July 2023, Ms. Shi Xiangying donated 200,000 RMB to jointly establish the “Community Conservation Special Fund” with the Foundation. The fund is dedicated to community-based ecological and biodiversity conservation and environmental protection efforts across China. The fund focuses on supporting three key areas:
- Conservation efforts based in rural communities in key ecological and species habitat areas, including grasslands, forests, and marine environments.
- Urban community-based initiatives to enhance urban ecological environments and conduct science popularization and educational outreach with the involvement of the public and volunteers.
- Promoting research, exchange, and capacity-building activities for community conservation organizations and professionals.
Shan Shui Institute Special Fund
In August 2024, Professor Lü Zhi donated 200,000 RMB to jointly establish the “Shan Shui Institute Special Fund” with the Foundation. This special fund will be used to support research on biodiversity, climate change, and the mainstreaming of environmental protection, focusing on key industry issues such as research, case studies, policy recommendations, and more. The fund’s activities will cover areas across China. It will focus on supporting three key directions:
- Action-oriented research and case analysis on biodiversity, climate change, and environmental protection, aimed at addressing critical issues.
- Promoting the mainstreaming of biodiversity in businesses, financial institutions, and related sectors, through cases, tools, research, and practices.
- Supporting research, exchange, and capacity-building activities for institutions and professionals working on the mainstreaming of environmental issues.
ther Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECMs) Special Fund
In November 2024, the Huatai Foundation donated 2 million RMB to jointly establish the “Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECMs) Special Fund” with the Foundation, and with support from the Shanghai Stock Exchange Foundation. This fund will support efforts related to OECMs, with activities spanning nationwide. It focuses on two key areas:
- Providing technical support and ongoing funding for critical ecosystems and important species habitats outside of existing protected areas, including urban areas, grasslands, forests, and marine environments, that meet OECM standards or have potential for OECM implementation.
- Promoting research, standard development, exchange, and capacity-building activities related to OECMs.