"Eco-environmental protection in western China under the Western Development Strategy (WDS): a regional assessment in the Beipan River Basin, Guizhou"

This research will investigate the progress of and issues surrounding eco-environmental protection in western China, in particular in Guizhou Province during the period 2000 to 2011 under the Western Development Strategy (WDS). The aim of the research is to identify new approaches towards environmental governance that will help to improve eco-environmental protection and achieve sustainable development in western China.

Western China, a vast region with multiple ethnic groups, rich natural resources and diverse ecosystems/biodiversities, holds a strategic position in China’s overall long term and stable development. Concomitant with poverty eradication and socio-economic development, over the past decade western China has experienced massive expansion of its infrastructure, mineral resource exploration, and relocation of industrial companies from coastal areas to this region. This has aroused wide concern regarding its eco- environment, i.e., whether it is well protected. To date, little research has been undertaken to evaluate the progress of eco-environmental protection in western China under the WDS.

By adopting a new approach, the proposed research will be constructed upon a theoretical concept of “decoupling” (simply defined as delinking socio-economic development from ecological damage and environmental deterioration), using “disjuncture in environmental governance” as an analytic framework to examine the disjuncture between promise and performance of eco-environmental protection by both the central and local governments in western China.

The objectives of the proposed research are: (1) to identify the main progress and issues pertaining to eco-environmental protection in western China; (2) to analyze political willingness regarding eco-environmental protection at local government levels; (3) to evaluate current limitations of both central and local governments in administrating eco-environmental protection in terms of resource allocation, capacity building of institutions, and enforcement of relevant laws and policies; and (4) to examine public awareness of eco-environmental protection in western China.

The research will focus on the Beipan River Basin with the study techniques including: establishment of a research network; the collection of 12 years of monitoring data and published information; the use of face-to-face interviews; and will employ both qualitative and quantitative analyses.

The outcomes of the research are expected to: (1) develop and demonstrate a model for appraising eco-environmental protection in western China under the WDS; (2) provide future solutions to improving environmental governance, eco-environmental protection and sustainable development in western China; and (3) contribute to the academic literature on environmental studies.