Background:

Whilst China has numerous Socio-Ecological Production landscapes (SEPLs) that have been formed and maintained through long-term human influence, at the interface of nature and human settlements, their management practices are yet widely known. The International Partnership for the Satoyama Initiative (IPSI), focuses on these landscapes to enhance understanding and raise awareness of their importance global wide. Sharing case studies ensure that impacts of IPSI benefits from the strengths and experiences of the various participating organisations.

UNU-IAS, as a secretariat of IPSI and a world-class international research and capacity development institution, would like to take a role of broadening knowledge accumulation, strengthening knowledge dissemination and sharing. Yunnan University, with its capacity and accumulated experience, as well as unique perspective of SEPLs conservation practice, will jointly develop a Chinese SEPLs management practice video as a tool to be shared with IPSI members and others dealing with SEPLs.

Objectives:

The SEPLs management practice video aims to keep a record of the maintenance and rebuilding process of SEPLs as an example of putting sustainable use and management of natural resources into practice. It can also contribute to raising awareness about the importance of rehabilitating the SEPLs.

The video will incorporate the following points:

• The interdependent relationship between villagers and the nature.
• Understanding the local resource use mechanisms within carrying capacity and resilience of the environment, and cyclic use of natural resources.
• Sociological and anthropological aspect of the Danuohei Village area, especially the meanings of sacred groves, mountain and stones for the villagers.

Also, the video will include the following elements:

• A portrayal of the ritual activities in the Danuohei Village, and use of natural recourse in their daily lives.

Schedule:

The final products are to be submitted prior to CBD COP11, October 2012.

Contact details:

Dr. Xueli Chen, SEGCSWB, Yunnan University

Aya Takatsuki, UNU-IAS