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Green poverty alleviation programme inception workshop
Alessandra Tisot
UNDP Senior Deputy Resident Representative
21 Nov 2006, Beijing
Distinguished Mr. Shi Dinghuan
Dear Mr. Wu Zhong and Ms. Wang Weili,
Colleagues and friends,
I am very pleased to join the inception workshop for our Programme Green Poverty Alleviation in Poor Rural Areas of China this morning.
I believe this important programme is central to China’s own agenda to develop a harmonious society. It is also central to UNDP’s mission in China to support poverty reduction, environmental protection and the achievements of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
The number of poor people in China rapidly declined from about 250 million to about 23.65 million in less than 30 years, poverty incidence declined from 30.7 per cent to 2.5 per cent (according to LGOP data). This record shows the most dramatic national poverty reduction in history.
Nevertheless, if we unveil the cover of the average and look to the details of Human Development Index of different provinces in China Tibet, Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan, Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia are still facing challenges of poverty. More than 46 per cent of the remaining poor people in China are from the ethnic minority group with inequitable access to services, technology and credit. And most of the remaining poor people in those provinces live in large remote mountainous areas or deserts with fragile ecology and environment which also affects China’s achievement of the Millennium Development Goal on environment.
The current level of energy consumption in poor western rural areas is relatively low and the energy supply infrastructure is poorly developed. With gradual social and economic development, the demand for energy is expected to increase and will challenge the supply structure. The ability to meet rising energy demands will be an essential element of any solution to achieve sustainable poverty alleviation.
This situation calls for well-funded and integrated efforts that take into account the characteristics of the remaining poor people and their context. It also means that there is a need for new models and comprehensive strategies of development that can overcome the challenges of poverty, environmental degradation and energy shortage in those poor areas. I would like to mention a few innovative ways that have great potential to generate more income for the poor people and to improve local eco-environment which this programme attempts to explore through pilots.
This programme is intended to explore new initiatives for win-win solution to both poverty and environmental degradation. This effort not only requires new technologies but also innovative institutional arrangements that will promote both social & economic development and environmental protection together.
To foster green industries for poverty reductions in remote mountain areas or deserts is one of the most important vehicles that can achieve both poverty alleviation and environmental protection. This programme has two dimensions in cultivating industries. One is to identify proper product and production model that fit the remote mountain areas or deserts and the other is to improve energy supply in order to generate more income and employment opportunities. This programme will focus more on scaling up these efforts to support industrialization development in those areas. And to scale up production requires innovative organization of individuals via associations of product producers and service providers. At the same time, supporting systems and facilities will be developed to help with local industry for scale economy and synergized effects. These will include the promotion of marketing support system, industrial chains and new social development models tailor-made to the local needs and conditions.
At the very onset of this programme, I want to raise a few issues which I think are worth special consideration during the project implementation.
First, use the programme as a platform to engage wide expertise, both domestic and international, to share knowledge and experiences. China’s experience in poverty reduction and growth has demonstrated a remarkable home-grown model of development and home-grown solutions to development issues, which can be shared globally. Meanwhile international experience from other countries which particularly empower vulnerable and poor people to benefit equally from the economic growth and development could also be useful reference for China. As many of you may be well aware of, in partnership with the Chinese government, we have established the International Poverty Reduction Centre in China (IPRCC) which serves as a hub for knowledge and experience sharing and information exchange for global poverty reduction experience. We hope experiences and lessons generated from the programme could be shared through this platform.
Second in this programme the pilots and lessons learned can contribute to legislation development on renewable energy in China. UNDP programme has provided substantial support to the formulation of the Renewable Energy Law in China. This programme can generate valuable experience on how to implement the law after it became effective this year. And the viable lessons learned on renewable energy through this programme can also feed into the revision of the Energy Conservation Law and the formulation of the Energy Law in China.
Third, considering the complexity of the programme which will involve various stakeholders, it is important to explore cross-sectoral cooperation and resource integration to guide and support the implementation of the programme at central, provincial and lower levels. I am pleased to see mechanisms already established involving relevant ministries which will lay a solid foundation for the success of this programme.
Fourth, innovations and partnership building are catalyst for change. This programme is to pursue new ways of doing business. The areas, such as the development and expansion of market for bio-diesel, Dayun and small scale wind turbines, need concrete efforts of government to create an enabling environment. Moreover, partnership with private sector is also critical. I hope through our programme, public-private-partnership could be a useful tool to support innovation and development.
Fifth industrialization will not only scale up potential of profitability but also scale up the business risk. Farmers have relatively vulnerable position in terms of risk management in the market. So we need to pay particular attention to risk management and to develop systematic solution for the industrialization in the pilots to mitigate risks of farmers. We also need to encourage the development of farmers’ associations and to build up win-win-win situation among farmers, government and enterprises in order to protect farmers’ rights during the industrialization process.
This workshop is a milestone of our collaboration, which will put forward more detailed implementation steps and strategy to carry out our endeavors. I look forward to a constructive discussion on the workplan for the programme at the workshop and a successful implementation of the programme over the coming years. I trust the programme will march firmly towards the goals of poverty alleviation and environment protection through the joint efforts of all the participants.
Thank you!
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