CBCGDF's Efforts in Empowering Youth in Land Restoration and Combating Desertification

In the ever-evolving landscape of global challenges, fostering the active participation of young people is paramount to address complex issues effectively. Biodiversity conservation is one such challenge that requires the energy, creativity, and dedication of the youth. Here, we delve into the initiatives and measures taken by organizations to promote the engagement of young individuals in this critical cause.

1) Establishment of Youth Volunteer teams:

The China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation (CBCGDF) has make consistent efforts in building youth volunteers' team. Now we're honored to have welcomed thousands of youth volunteers joining us. This diverse groups includes college students, young professionals, rural youth, and international students studying abroad. To nurture their technical skills, CBCGDF offers short- or long-term internship/volunteering opportunities. For instance, during the summer of 2021, a 14-year-old high school student volunteered with CBCGDF, joining an expedition to study biodiversity in the remote deserts of northwestern China, specifically the "Lop Nur Biodiversity Science Expedition." This half-month experience left an indelible mark on him. Subsequently, he conducted months of research at his school using the biological samples he had collected in the arid areas. These experiences not only shaped his educational path but also enabled him to secure admission to a prestigious university, laying a solid foundation for his career. The selfless contributions of young volunteers significantly reduce our operational costs as a nonprofit organization.

2) Skill Development Initiatives:

Since 2020, CBCGDF has collaborated with the United International College of Beijing Normal University-Hong Kong Baptist University to provide young talents with opportunities to understand, engage in research, and practice biodiversity conservation during their undergraduate studies. These initiatives are instrumental in enhancing their knowledge and expertise in this field.

3) Financial and Opportunity Support:

CBCGDF, as an observer to international agreements like Rio Conventions (the CBD, UNFCCC and UNCCD) and scientific bodies (IPBES & IPCC), as well as a member of various other international organizations, consistently reserves opportunities for young people when forming delegations to attend conferences. For example, during the recent IPBES-10 conference held in Bonn, Germany, we supported three young representatives (from Gambia, Singapore, and China) to participate on site. Another example is that during CBD COP15-2 in Montreal, we organized a forum for young participants to mainstream biodiversity conservation among the youth.

4) Advocacy for Human-based Solutions:

We advocate for "Human-based Solutions", encouraging individuals to contribute to building a sustainable future.

5) Mainstreaming Biodiversity and Desertification through Mass Communication:

The non-profit conservation organistion has established its own mass communication brand called "CBCGDF Media" to conduct environmental education and environmental science popularisation. With a collective daily readership exceeding 30 million on various platforms, a substantial portion of our audience consists of young readers.

6) Combating Illegal Wildlife Trade:

To protect biodiversity in arid regions and combat transnational illegal wildlife trade, we initiated the "Clean Internet for Conophytum" campaign. Conophytum is a native South African plant whose illegal harvesting and trade were driven by the strong market demand for international horticultural collections. Consequently, all Conophytum species were listed in CITES Appendix III during CITES COP19 in 2022. Since March 2023, many young volunteers have joined our efforts to track information related to illegal wildlife trade (IWT) online. Thanks to these collective efforts, CBCGDF has eliminated over 50% of public illegal wildlife plant trade on the internet. This achievement is inseparable from increased public awareness, youth involvement, and legal actions taken against major Conophytum smugglers.

7) Sustainable Livelihood Options:

In some arid and impoverished rural areas of China, young people migrate to coastal cities in search of better economic opportunities, leaving behind their home regions and missing out on opportunities for engagement. In response, CBCGDF established specialized funds, such as the Sand Industry Fund and the International Environment Fund, to provide job opportunities in arid areas. For instance, in Inner Mongolia's Ordos, we support the cultivation of sandthorn plants. Sandthorn not only helps prevent wind erosion but also provides local communities with economic income.

8) Leveraging the Digital Information Age:

Harnessing the convenience of the digital information era, CBCGDF encourages young people to contribute to biodiversity informatics. Everyone can easily taken some pictures to record species' occurrences. And the CBCGDF's expert team can help in identification. As the second data publisher in China for the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), we have released hundreds of biodiversity occurrence data contributed by young individuals. This data sharing further supports global biodiversity research and informs scientific decision-making.

9) Events and Competitions:

For instance, in 2022, CBCGDF organized a series of science popularization events targeting colleage students aged 17-26, including the "6th National University Student Environmental Knowledge Competition," the "Inaugural University Student Low-Carbon Circular Technology Innovation Competition," and training sessions for university student volunteers involved in conservation efforts. These activities collectively reached 1.5 million individuals.

10) Scientific project. In response to the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration initiative, CBCGDF has launched the "Biodiversity in Arid Regions (2021-2030)" program, undertaking a decade-long biodiversity survey in China's northwestern arid regions, with a focus on the Lop Nur region and surrounding area. This initiative has engaged numerous young individuals, particularly early-career young scientists.

11) In partnership with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the CBCGDF is helping to raise fund to help Pakistani refugees and residents, by promoting clean energy adoption, aiming to support 35,000 households, with youth and women priorities. This initiative also integrates climate change awareness and youth education, and in response to Pakistani floods, CBCGDF collaborates with the Embassy of Pakistan to launch a fundraising campaign, exemplifying the impact of international cooperation in addressing global challenges while fostering a sustainable future.

12) Efforts to Protect Land Health: In China, many are familiar with a prominent legal case aimed at conserving soil biodiversity – the battle against the mass capture of earthworms via using electronic devices. This investigation was initiated by me and a small group of youth volunteers. After a year of investigation, we decided to take legal action against three companies manufacturing these capture devices in 2021. With lawyers' help, through environmental public interest litigations, the massive hunting phenomemon dissappeared. Because the CBCGDF won these lawsuts, successfully demonstrating the justifiability of soil biodiversity conservation and safeguarding land health. Plus, this lawsuit has been recognized by China's Supreme People's Court as a textbook case in the realm of environmental justice.

By： Linda Wong

Editor: Daisy

Contact: v10@cbcgdf.org; +8617319454776

Contribution

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