Jiajin Village is in the southern part of Xiaojin County. Xiaojin County is located on the eastern edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The villagers are mainly Jiarong Tibetans, whose livelihoods are semi-agricultural and semi-pastoral. While female villagers earn their income through grazing and planting within the village, male villagers often migrant to work in cities. With the support of the national poverty alleviation policy, Jiajin Village has shacked off poverty in 2017.
Main problems: The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the ecological pressure on community conserved areas in Jiajin Village. Firstly, the pandemic has increased villagers? reliance on natural resources in community conserved area as job opportunities in cities for migrant workers slashed. Secondly, the management of community conserved area has become more difficult because more people re-enter community conserved area and conducting livelihood activities. Thirdly, the traditional management methods of community conserved area need to evolve to meet the challenges that future risks and unanticipated emergencies may bring.
Activities: 1) Establish a women-centered wild mushroom hatvest group. The group will lead the discussion to formulate a sustainable mushroom harvest system for all villagers to achieve sustainable developing, protecting the ecological environment, and increasing local women?s income; 2) Establish a community grassland sustainable management group. The management group will propose and finalize a mechanism as well as an action plan accordingly. Furthermore, it will encourage and implement seasonal rotation grazing to realize sustainable pasture management; 3. Run training sessions for the women-centered group to develop sales channels of wild mushroom. Also, the group will prepare for entering the urban market and build consumer loyalty through developing safe and high-quality products. The women-centered group will be responsible for consumers on-site visit as well as the eco-friendly tourism; 4. Conduct community capacity building activities such as internal promotion activities, agricultural technology training, sales channel expansion and self-governance to realize sustainable development of local community.
Anticipated outcomes: 1) Around 500 mu of community conserved area understory wild mushroom resources are sustainably managed. Establish 1 women-centered sustainable management group with more than 10 core members; Draft and implement the sustainable mushroom hunting system; 2) Around 30,000 mu of community conserved area (grassland) has been efficiently managed by the community grassland sustainable management group with around 5 core members; 3) The annual average income for local women resident will increase by 1,500 yuan; Run training sessions and workshops for 30 people in the community. The women-centered group will broaden at least 5 new sales channels. 4) Enhance community self-governance capability to build resilience in response to pandemic and other emergencies. The women-centered group will bring about 4 activities in the community and conduct 1 participatory evaluation in the community to enhance the effectiveness and accountability.