The Pendeba Program in the Media 置顶

12月
29

Featured on the Chinese Government Official Web Portal, the Pendeba Program was depicted as “having brought noticeable achievements.”  

The program, started in 1994, was in response to the growing need for local participation in the protection of the Qomolangma National Nature Preserve (QNNP) in the Mt. Everest Region. This innovative program relies on a new type of conservation and community service volunteer, known as a Pendeba. Pendebas are locally nominated volunteers from each village within the protected area who improve family health, advance options for income generation, spread conservation concepts, and organize collaborative action around local priorities. In QNNP, these volunteers have helped to decrease child mortality by 50% and reduce deforestation by 80%. 

From 1994-2010, more than 1200 Pendebas were trained to bring benefits to villages in three protected areas of Tibet. In 1998, the United Nations recognized the program as one of the world’s most successful examples of sustainable human development.

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The Pendeba Society Wins Top Prize of Ford Green Awards 2011 置顶

12月
02

In the ceremony of Ford Green Awards 2011 held in Beijing on December 2nd, The Pendeba Society was awarded with the top prize of Nature Conservation Pioneer Award for its Nature Conservation and Community Development Project and 200,000 yuan as the project fund.  Mr. Tsering Norbu, Director of The Pendeba Society accepted the award on behalf of this project. Mr. Joe Hinrichs, President, Asia Pacific and Africa Ford Motor Company and Chairman and CEO, Ford Motor (China) Ltd., who described the Pendeba Project as respectful, awarded Tsering Norbu with the certificate and trophy. Along with The Pendeba Society, another 29 excellent individual environmentalists and civil environmental organizations were also awarded with Ford Green Awards prizes. 

The Pendeba Project, through a variety of projects that promote ecological conservation, social welfare improvement and alternative livelihoods development in the Qomolangma National Nature Preserve, aims to ameliorate local communities’ living standards and the surrounding environment, which in return stimulates sustainable use of natural resources and creates rapport between human and the Nature in the region. The Ford Green Awards (Pioneer Award and Communication Award), launched on August 1st, has attracted around 120 applications from concerned individual environmentalists and civil society organizations across China.  After several rounds of evaluation and assessment procedures including on-site surveys, telephone interviews and oral examination in house, the Committee of Ford Green Awards finally selected the awardees. 

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Conservation and Public Healthcare Workshop Held in Enba Village 置顶

10月
29

Conservation and Public Healthcare Workshop Held in Enba Village

Conservation and Public Healthcare Workshop Held in Enba Village 2Conservation and Public Healthcare Workshop Held in Enba Village 4Conservation and Public Healthcare Workshop Held in Enba Village 3On October 28, 2011, staff of The Pendeba Society came to Enba Village to deliver a workshop on public healthcare, environmental conservation in QNNP and on-going projects of the Society. Over 70 villagers participated in the workshop including the village chief Mr. Sonam Tsering. We were also glad to have Party Secretary of Gangga Township, Mr. Dawa Tsering at our workshop, who showed pertinent interest and support in our project in Enba Village. 

We were first warmly welcomed by the attendees followed by the introduction of Mr. Sonam Tsering. And then, Norbu took the lead of the workshop, introducing to the villagers knowledge about public sanitation, mother-child healthcare, environmental conservation in QNNP as well as The Pendeba Society and its current projects in QNNP’s four counties. The workshop was formally closed by Mr. Dawa Tsering, who in his closure remarks emphasized what Norbu has mentioned about environmental protection and public healthcare. He said that “We can do little to generate a great deal of fortune for our future generations, but what we can do is to better conserve our natural environment and resources for them.” He also expressed his appreciation toward our project and its impact, and would help with the project communication within local governments.

Followed by the workshop is the ceremony delivering 98 sets of small solar power lighting systems to the village members. Our project in Enba Village does not only aim to better conserve wetland resources near the village by transforming conventional sheep corrals into ones that are more sustaining and environmentally friendly, we also intend to improve the village’s living conditions in terms of lighting at nights given the village still does not have access to regular electricity supply. 

Mr. Sonam Tsering, on behalf of the village extended their gratitude to The Pendeba Society for the project. In the meantime, we are also very appreciative of the village’s keen participation and active involvement, without which the project cannot be finished in time. In particular, we are also grateful to the government of Tingri County and Gangga Town. With their generous support, we therefore are able to smoothly and successfully carry out the project. It has vividly demonstrated our work strategy that we live up to over the past decades – the “Three-way Partnership” that involves "bottom-up" initiative from communities, "top-down" support from government agencies, and "outside-in" training and support from organizations. 

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Enba Wetland Conservation Project Launched 置顶

10月
21

Enba Wetland Conservation Project Launched

Enba Wetland Conservation Project Launched 2Enba Wetland Conservation Project Launched 3On October 18, 2011, our forth project of Vale Award was launched in Tingri County’s Enba Village. Led by Mr. Sonam Tsering, the village chief, over 160 village members participated in the project, which is expected to be completed by the end of the month.

The project aims to change the conventional sheep corrals in Enba Village into those which are more sustaining and environmentally friendly. It asks villagers to rebuild their sheep corrals by using clay bricks or fortifying current corrals instead of digging wetland earth masses from neighboring wetland along Pengchu River – QNNP’s largest river. The conventional sheep corrals made of wetland earth masses have imposed very destructive impacts on wetland ecosystems as well as grass production for livestock. 

In the meantime, since Enba Village still does not have access to regular electricity supply, the project will also provide each household of Enba Village with a small solar lighting system, reducing the village’s difficulty in lighting at nights. The project will benefit over 400 villagers and 8000 livestock in Enba Village. 

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Daqu Project Successfully Completed while Enba Project Will Start Soon 置顶

10月
17

Daqu Project Successfully CompletedDaqu Project Successfully Completed 3Daqu Project Successfully Completed 2On October 15, 2011, Norbu delivered a workshop to 20 project participants of Daqu Village focusing on environmental conservation, introduction of QNNP and on-going projects of The Pendeba Society. The event also marked the successful completion of the Society’s Daqu Farmland and Wetland Protection Project funded by Vale Award. 

The project, by setting enclosures around the village’s farmland, aims to protect over 70 hectares’ farmland from being trodden by wandering animals like cattle, houses and sheep and reduce collateral agricultural lost. The protected farmland will ensure increased agricultural productivity and safeguard food security for low income villagers in the community. Additionally, as a main feed for livestock, the leftover of harvested Tibetan barley will also increase, which reduces traditional dependence on natural grassland and stimulates the sustainable development for animal husbandry in the region. In the meantime, it also changes the way how villagers build their farmland fences to be more environmentally friendly. Conventional farmland fences are made of wetland earth masses digging from neighboring wetland, which has imposed very destructive impacts on wetland ecosystems as well as grass production for livestock. The project provides benefits to over 500 villagers and more than 8000 livestock in Daqu Village. 

This project echoes with our another project in Tingri’s Enba Village, which also aims to change the conventional sheep corrals that are made of wetland earth masses from neighboring wetlands along Pengqu River – QNNP’s largest river. And this project will be launched soon and is expected to complete by the end of the month. 

Mr. Nanchu Ouzhu, Daqu Village Chief on behalf of the village expressed gratitude to The Pendeba Society for the project and hopes that more projects of such will be carried out in his village in the near future. The Pendeba Society is also appreciative of Daqu community for their active participation and contribution to this project, without which it cannot be a success.  After the workshop, a project assessment was also conducted where we gathered valuable information about the community’s attitudes toward our project and their need, which will be of great help to planning our future projects for the community. 

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Village Windbreak Protection Project Launched in Rongkong 置顶

10月
12

Village Windbreak Protection Project Launched in Rongkong 2

On October 12, 2011, our third project of Vale Award was launched in Tingkey County’s Rongkong Village. Led by Mr. Suolun, Director of QNNP Management Bureau Tingkey Branch, and the village chief, over 15 village members participated in the construction of the project, which is expected to be completed by the middle of the month.  

The project, by setting hedges around the village’s windbreak, aims to protect about 3000 square meters’ windbreak trees from being trodden and destroyed by wandering dzhos and cattle. It will also protect small areas of farmland in between the woods. After the project, the windbreak’s ecological service in terms of lessening the force of the wind and fixing the sand will be better conserved and enhanced. In the meantime, better preserved green belt also contributes to the beautification of the village, making the village a more pleasant place to live. The project will then benefit 12 households and over 120 villagers in Rongkong. 

Village Windbreak Protection Project Launched in Rongkong 1Furthermore, a workshop on environmental conservation and windbreak services will also be conducted later after the completion of the project by Mr. Soulun, an experienced conservationist who has been working in QNNP for the past 18 years. The Pendeba Society would like to express our cordial gratitude to Mr. Suolun for his generous support and help on this project and we wish to deepen our cooperation and partnership in the near future, which we believe will surely bring concrete benefits to the conservation and stimulate community development in Tingkey County.

Additionally, thanks also go to Ms. Ciyang, Reporter from Tibet Television, who donated several bags of clothing. The clothing has been handed to Mr. Suolun, and will be given to those who need most, including people from Rongkong to have a warm winter. 

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Daqu Farmland Protection and Wetland Conservation Project Launched 置顶

10月
09

Daqu Farmland Protection Project Launched

On October 8, 2011, our second project of Vale Award was launched in Nyalam County’s Daqu Village. Led by Mr. Nanchu Ouzhu, Daqu’s Village Chief and other village leaders, over 120 village members participated in the construction of the project, which is expected to be completed by the middle of the month.  

The project, by setting enclosures around the village’s farmland, aims to protect over 70 hectares’ farmland from being trodden by wandering animals like cattle, houses and sheep and reduce collateral agricultural lost. The protected farmland will ensure increased agricultural productivity and safeguard food security for low income villagers in the community. In the meantime, as a main feed for livestock, the leftover of harvested Tibetan barley will also increase, which reduces traditional dependence on natural grassland and stimulates the sustainable development for animal husbandry in the region.  It will benefit over 500 villagers and more than 8000 livestock in Daqu Village. 

Daqu Farmland Protection Project Launched 2On the other hand, traditional enclosures of the village’s farmland are made of earth blocks dug from the neighboring wetland, which also brings about expansive destruction to ecosystems of wetland and grassland where uprooted grasslands cannot be easily recovered at this altitude of 4300 meters high. By using wire enclosures, it will therefore end such unsustainable and environmentally unfriendly activities, and leave time and space for destructed wetland to restore, where conservation can be achieved for animals living on such natural resource.  

The Pendeba Society would like to express our sincere gratitude to Vale Award and the Government of Nailong Township, who provide funding and other support to make this project run smoothly. We also like to thank Daqu villagers because without their active participation and involvement, this project cannot be implemented this early. By the end of the project, follow-up lectures will then delivered to Daqu community on environmental conservation and community development.   

This is just a beginning of our conservation effort. In the near future, The Pendeba Society will apply various approaches such as traditional sheep corral transformation to better conserve the wetland and grassland that exist along Pengqu River, the largest river in QNNP. 

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Chuxi Conservation Project Successfully Completed 置顶

10月
06

 

On October 6, 2011, Mr. Norbu delivered a workshop to 50 project participants of Chuxi Village focusing on public healthcare, wetland management, environmental conservation in QNNP and on-going projects of The Pendeba Society. The event also marked the successful completion of the Society’s Chuxi Wetland Conservation Project funded by Vale Award. 

The project, by setting up a 1200-meter long enclosure around a small area of 10 hectare’s wetland near Chuxi Village, does not only protect the precious wetland ecosystems and feed for the livestock of the village, it also protects the farmlands nearby from being trodden and destroyed by horses seeking for food. The protected wetland also ensures a lasting water source that flows around the farmland and provides critical irrigation water resource for sustainable agricultural production. 

Mr. Basang, Chuxi Village Chief on behalf of the village expressed gratitude to The Pendeba Society for the project and hopes that more projects of such will be carried out in his village in the near future.  The Pendeba Society is also appreciative of Chuxi community for their active participation and contribution to this project, without which it cannot be a success.  After the workshop, a project assessment was also conducted where we gathered valuable information about the community’s attitudes toward our project and their need, which will be of great help to planning our future projects for the community. 

P.S. Our projector went broken at the end of the workshop, unfortunately. And we hope we may repair it as soon as possible in order to make sure the following workshops run successfully. 

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Representatives from Vale Award Committee Visited Our Project Sites 置顶

9月
25

On September 23, 2011, two representatives from Vale Award Committee including Ms. Carolyn Tang, Head of Corporate Affairs of Vale Minerals China and Ms. Zoe Hu, Research Vice President of CCiA visited The Pendeba Society’s Vale Project sites in Tingri County’s Enba and Chuxi Villages. 

During the visit, our guests had direct impressions of our projects’ environmental and social settings as well as interactive conversations with participants of the projects such as leaders of both villages. Through the conversation and close observation on the spot, both Ms. Tang and Ms. Hu have enriched their understandings of our projects, and also raised some key issues that should be considered in the latter phase of the project implementation. In addition, we also showed our guests around the Exhibition Hall at the Training Center, giving brief introduction of QNNP’s geographical and social settings in front of QNNP’s topographical sand modes.

After the visit, the work of The Pendeba Society was well recognized by our guests, and we hope that the Vale Project will continue smoothly and we are sure we will make it a success for the environmental and social development in QNNP. 

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The Pendeba Society Attended Vale Award Experience Sharing Workshop 置顶

9月
22

From September 18th to 20th, The Pendeba Society along with other awardee organizations attended a three-day experience sharing workshop in Chengdu featuring keynote dialogue, interactive workshops, free discussions and a field tour. 

Through the workshop, The Pendeba Society was able to have in-depth conversations with other awardees and learn from each other.  Among the awardees we have met representatives from government agencies such as Center for Environmental Education and Communications of Beijing and Guizhou Province, and Management Bureaus of Gaoligongshan and Hanzhong Crested Ibis National Nature Preserves; local NGOs like Chengdu Bird Watching Society and WWF Chengdu Office, and a student organization from Peking University.  We also had opportunities to engage in comprehensive dialogues and talks with well-known experts and practitioners in the fields of environmental conservation, community development and other cross-discipline subjects including Mr. CHEN Taiyong, China Country Director of Heifer International, Mr. LI Shengzhi, Field Projects Director of the Shan Shui Conservation Centre, and Dr. HU Baijing, Director of Institute of Public Communication at Renmin Univeristy, and so on.

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