Diqing, Yunnan province, China - A fundamental part of Buddhist teachings is the protection of nature, and that humans have the capacity for creation as well as destruction of the fragile balance of the earth’s environment. Thus Buddhist teachings show that the solutions to environmental problems depend on the actions and awareness human beings.

To raise awareness about these issues, 17 monks from Dongzhulin monastery in Shangri-la, Diqing, Yunnan Province, took part in a WWF training course on August 12 entitled ‘Environmental Thought from Tibetan Buddhism: Purifying our Minds to Solve Environmental Problems.’ During the training, monks debated on how Tibetan Buddhism can contribute towards protecting the environment. Other aspects of the course touched upon the interdependence of all life, issues of poaching and killing animals, compassion for all living beings, and protecting ecosystems.

Dongzhulin (pronounced Dondroblin in Tibetan) monastery is a partner of WWF’s Shangri-La Sustainable Community Initiative, which supports a wide range of conservation, development, and education activities in the region aimed at improving the management of the reserve, reducing conflicts between the reserve and local communities, and improving the livelihoods of local people by enhancing their capacity for self-development and resource management.

'What is unique about this project is that the community takes ownership,' says Liu Yunhua, WWF China’s Education and Capacity Building Programme Director. 'The first step is to work with the community to help solve the problems they care about most. We aren’t just supplying ‘hardware', We aim to provide the ‘software’ necessary for engaging people in sustainable development. It is an education process through which the local communities are empowered to make decisions and take action for a sustainable future.'

The Diqing Tibet Autonomous Prefecture of China has two of WWF's Global 200 eco-regions — a science-based global ranking of the world's most biologically outstanding habitats and the regions on which WWF concentrates its efforts. These are: Yangtze Rivers and Lakes and Hengduan Coniferous Forest. The region has high endemism of plant, animal, fish, amphibian, and other species, many of which are endangered. It also plays a crucial role in regulating the flow of water and nutrients in the mighty Salween, Mekong, Yangtze Rivers, which provide freshwater and other resources to millions of people in China, Laos, Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam, and Cambodia. These three rivers are also Global 200 eco-regions.

The region is threatened by deforestation, pollution, increased agriculture, and soil erosion.

For further information:

Alex Marston, Communications Coordinator, WWF China Programme, Tel 86-10-6522-7100 ext 3233. Email: alex@wwfchina.org


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