CHINA NGO PROJECTS AND STRATEGIES: THE NATURE CONSERVANCY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CHENGDU 000300 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/CM AND OES E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/20/2032 TAGS: SENV PGOV PHUM SOCI CH SUBJECT: CHINA NGO PROJECTS AND STRATEGIES: THE NATURE CONSERVANCY REF: CHENGDU 269 CHENGDU 00000300 001.2 OF 002 CLASSIFIED BY: John Hill, Acting Consul General, Chengdu, Department of State. REASON: 1.4 (b),(d) ¶1. (C) Summary: While the Nature Conservancy (TNC) believes the overall environment for non-governmental organizations to operate in China has been noticeably more difficult during the last few years than during the late 1990's, the increased focus by central and local government authorities on environmental issues appears to be facilitating its expansion beyond its original base in Yunnan Province. As a foreign NGO, TNC is forbidden from eliciting funding from China's growing number of increasingly wealthy entrepreneurs, who also would receive no tax incentives to make contributions and likely be wary of possible political reprisals. Nevertheless, with a loyal cadre of Hong Kong contributors, as well as funding from the United States, TNC appears to be well positioned to try to take on the "hot issue" of environmental protection in China. End Summary. ¶2. (C) TNC China director told Congenoff in an early November visit to Kunming that the late 1990s were a boom period for non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working in southwest China's Yunnan Province. The past several years, however, have been a more difficult period due to nervousness of the Yunnan provincial government about NGO activities. Confrontation with the authorities is not the TNC work style in China (or the U.S.),noted the director, although it can in some circumstances be a useful tactic. Since late 2006, stronger central government support for environmental work has brought a change in the attitude of the Yunnan provincial government, which now supports environmental work more strongly under its "Colorful Yunnan" tourism promotion strategy. ¶3. (C) As a foreign NGO, TNC may not raise money in the mainland of China, although its strong backers in Hong Kong last year contributed about one-third of the TNC China budget. As an affiliate of a U.S. NGO, TNC China is subject to the same TNC standard audits as U.S. offices of TNC. Most funding comes from the parent NGO in the U.S., although recently for the first time a TNC China project won some European Union funding. The TNC in its China work has over the years gotten strong financial support and advice from companies such as Alcoa, Caterpillar, GM and Goldman Sachs. -------------- -------------- -------------- TNC China Stresses National Parks Over Nature Reserves -------------- -------------- -------------- ¶4. (SBU) TNC China in its policy promotion work has shifted from nature reserves towards promoting national park development. Local governments have no incentive to create or support nature reserves since they lose the right to develop within the core zone of the reserve. Moreover, nature reserves had often been imposed from above as unfunded mandates on local governments. National parks are more palatable than nature reserves to local governments since park development loans are available and entrance fees of RMB 200 (USD 27) per visitor generate significant income. The tourist core area might cover for example 5 sq. km. of a 100 sq. km. national park. -------------- -------------- -------------- Politics and Lack of Tax Incentives Inhibit Chinese Business Support for NGOs -------------- -------------- -------------- ¶5. (C) Chinese environmental NGOs are small and local. Having not yet developed the strong support from the Chinese business community that TNC enjoys in the U.S. limits its potential for growth in China. One positive sign is the emergence of a group of wealthy PRC businesspeople, the Society of Entrepreneurs and Ecology. The group, which assesses its members 100,000 RMB per year in dues, works in Inner Mongolia together with the Chinese government and the TNC's Beijing office to reduce the severity of sandstorms that plague Chinese cities in the northeast. These businesspeople, who come from the real estate, banking, and IT sectors may be able to increase interest among businesspeople in environmental protection, noted a TNC staffer. Business people today do not get tax incentives for contributing to NGOs or charitable organizations. They also fear potential reprisals should the government not appreciate business support for NGO work. Capacity building for Chinese CHENGDU 00000300 002.2 OF 002 NGOs is a priority for the TNC. -------------- -------------- -------------- Kunming Head Office Manages Projects, Beijing Branch Works Policy -------------- -------------- -------------- ¶6. (SBU) In general, TNC projects are managed from Kunming while policy development cooperation with Chinese government partners such as the State Environmental Protection Administration, the Ministry of Water Resources, the State Forestry Administration, the State Council Poverty Alleviation Office and the National Development and Reform Commission are handled by the TNC Beijing office. Nearly all TNC China staff are PRC citizens. ¶7. (SBU) Embassy Beijing comment: During the tenure of the current director, the Beijing office of the TNC has grown from one to 20 staffers. The TNC, with the World Wildlife Fund and Conservation International, is among the three biggest NGOs in China. The TNC works closely with the national and provincial forestry administrations. End comment. ¶8. (SBU) TNC continues to discuss with the Three Gorges Construction Co. minimizing environmental damage due to dams (see reftel) and restoring the natural flow of the Yangtze River. Restoring the flow of the river would allow flooding of some downstream flood plains, involve the displacement of downstream people, as well as touch upon the politically sensitive question of the relative importance of flood control and power generation. TNC, with GM funding, works together with the Ministry of Natural Resources on water quality monitoring of the mouth of the Yangtze. ¶9. (SBU) Most of TNC's work in China has been focused on Yunnan for its ecological diversity and the critical, Virginia-size, three rivers ecosystem area in and near Yunnan Province that is the source of the Yangtze, Yellow and Brahmaputra rivers. -------------- -------------- -------------- Five Years Later, Most Peasants Still Use Solar Water Heaters and Stoves -------------- -------------- -------------- ¶10. (SBU) In the Deqin Autonomous Prefecture (a Tibetan minority area) and Lijiang, solar water heaters and stoves have reduced consumption of firewood by local people. A three-way split of costs among the TNC, local government and local users ensures that people make the project their own and do not simply see the NGO as a cash cow. A five year follow-up check found that most of this equipment is still being used. -------------- -------------- TNC Projects Branch Out from Yunnan Province -------------- -------------- ¶11. (SBU) More recently, TNC China has taken on more projects outside of Yunnan Province. In addition to the Yangtze River projects, TNC China is working with the provincial governments of Guangxi and Sichuan. At the request of the Poverty Alleviation Office of the State Council (which supports the work of TNC in the Deqin Prefecture project),TNC has undertaken a similar project at Dayaoshan, Guangxi. The State Council Poverty Alleviation Office, TNC, and Guangxi authorities have signed an MOU but the project has not yet begun. TNC China's Kunming Office is also working together with the Sichuan provincial government on its biodiversity action plan. -------------- -------------- More Information: See TNC China Websites -------------- -------------- ¶12. (U) More information on these projects is available on the TNC China's English and Chinese language websites. The Chinese language page is more current and much more detailed. -- TNC China in English --- http://www.nature.org/wherewework/asiapacific /China -- TNC China in Chinese --- For a useful Google machine translation of the Chinese language page, go to HILL