Ecosystem Services for Poverty Alleviation under Multiple Stresses in Mountainous Western China

贫困在山区尤为普遍，那里有1228万贫困人口(相当于贫困人口总数的51.9%)。中国的贫困人口大多集中在西部和中部地区，西部山区的贫困尤其普遍，中国西部山区的特点是其生态系统高度脆弱(被公认为生物多样性‘热点’和重要的碳库)，容易受到自然灾害、气候变化和人类干扰的影响。中国西部的高贫困水平归因于日益增长的人口压力，低水平的发展，以及通过砍伐森林和在山坡上耕种而导致的土地和生态严重退化。在林业领域，中国面临着双重挑战，既要满足对木材和其他非林业产品日益增长的需求，同时又要大幅增加对森林环境服务的投资。气候变化预计将对中国的生态系统产生重大影响，因此可能会影响生态系统服务的状况和分布。评估这类影响对于确定适应气候变化可能成为优先事项的区域至关重要。阿尔卑斯山地区特别容易受到气候条件的影响，因此山地生态系统受到特别关注。此外，中国的中西部地区构造活跃，容易发生地震和地震引发的泥石流。人们普遍认为，这些事件的直接影响及其持久影响是导致人们陷入贫困的一个主要因素。1999年启动的西部大开发战略，促进了中国西部贫困地区的社会经济发展。然而，财政投入不能完全满足那里大量贫困人口的需要。在联合体建设期间，成都的一个研讨会将把贫困社区、当地和地区的政策/决策者、其他利益相关者和研究人员聚集在一起，以发展伙伴关系，更好地确定研究需求，建立研究网络，并确定项目管理方案。通过结构合理的多学科合作伙伴关系，该联盟研究将开发一个创新的概念框架，用于分析在全球气候变化加速、区域高风险自然灾害和三峡大坝建设的背景下，以长江上游山区为重点的多重压力下的扶贫生态系统可持续管理。将通过促进“抗旱和抗灾”农业、旅游业和低碳发展以及生物燃料应用来确定生态系统服务的供应及其市场和非市场价值，以减少贫困。具体地说，将分析三峡大坝影响下生态系统的水安全(各种用途的地表水和地下水的可用性和质量)。将确定生物多样性、生态系统复原力及其相关的生态系统服务，以应对高风险自然灾害和加速的环境变化，重点放在自然保护区。这项研究将提供可持续管理生态系统的综合战略，以最大限度地减少贫困，提高穷人对自然灾害的复原力，并通过从联合体建立的早期阶段和整个联合体研究期间与政策/决策者接触，加强中央和地方当局协调和实施管理计划的能力。将建立一个网站，宣传将在Stream 2b下开发的项目的目标。这种网络存在不仅将为学术和社会利益攸关方提供信息，而且还将征求利益攸关方的意见。

Poverty is particularly prevalent in mountainous areas; where 12.28 million poor people live (equating to 51.9% of the total poor population). Most of the poor in China are in west and central regions, and poverty is particularly prevalent in mountainous Western China, which is characterized by its highly vulnerable ecosystem (recognised as a biodiversity 'hotspot' and a significant carbon store) to natural hazards and the impact of climate change and human interference. High poverty levels in Western China have been attributed to growing population pressure, a low level of development, and severe land and ecological degradation through deforestation and farming on slopes. In its forestry sector, China faces the combined challenge of meeting an increasing demand for wood and other NTFPs while at the same time considerably raising its investment in forest-based environmental services. Climate change is projected to have significant effects on China's ecosystems, and is therefore likely to impact upon the status and distribution of ecosystem services. Assessment of such impacts is vital in order to identify regions in which adaptation to climate change could be a priority. Alpine areas are particularly vulnerable to climatic conditions, and montane ecosystems have therefore received particular attention. In addition, central and Western areas of China are tectonically active and are subject to earthquakes and earthquake induced debris flow. The immediate impact of these events and the prolonged aftermath they perpetuate are well recognised as a major factor in resulting in people falling into poverty. The Great Western Development Strategy initiated in 1999 has been enhancing social and economic development of poor-stricken regions in Western Mountain China. However, the financial input could not fully meet the need of the large number of poor populations there. During the consortium building period, a workshop in Chengdu will bring together the poor communities, local and area policy/decision makers, other stakeholders, and researchers, in order to develop partnership, better identify research needs, set up the research network, and define the project management scheme. Through a well structured multidisciplinary partnership, the consortium research will develop an innovative conceptual framework for analysis of sustainable management of ecosystems for poverty alleviation focusing on the mountain area of Yangtze Upper Reaches under multiple stresses in the context of accelerated global climate changes, regional natural hazards of high risk and the construction of Three Gorge Dam. The supply of ecosystem services and its market and non-market value will be identified for poverty reduction by the promotion of 'drought- and hazard- resistant' agriculture, tourism and lower carbon development, and biofuel application. Specifically, water security (availability and quality of surface water and groundwater for various uses) in the ecosystems under the impact of the Three Gorges Dam will be analyzed. The biodiversity, ecosystem resilience, and their associated ecosystem services in response to high risk natural hazards and accelerated environmental changes will be determined, with emphasis on natural reserves. This research will deliver integrated strategies for sustainably managing ecosystem for maximizing poverty reduction and increase resilience of the poor of natural hazards, and enhancing the capacity of central and local authorities to co-ordinate and implement the management schemes by the engagement with policy/decision makers from the early consortium building stage and throughout the consortium research.. A website will be established to publicise the aims of the project to be developed under Stream 2b. This web-presence will not only inform but will also solicit for both academic and social input form stakeholders.