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The Mitsui & Co. Environment Fund

Introduction to Grant Projects

NPO Chikyu no Ryoku wo Sodateru-Kai

A study into potential natural vegetation and creating an action plan for planting suitable trees in Yunnan Province

Activity grant

Project Description

The mountains of Xishuangbanna Mangao Nature Reserve in China's Yunnan Province are becoming bare due to excessive forestry development in the region, resulting in severe water pollution in Lake Dian, the province's largest lake which is located in Kunming, and there is an urgent need for tree planting initiatives. Following an appeal for support from an environmental development foundation based in Yunnan, this project will formulate a 'Miyawaki method' action plan aiming to conserve the environment, restore vegetation, and recharge groundwater. This method involves selecting plants based on potential natural vegetation, and the project will look to regenerate the forests quickly through close, companion planting. Specific measures will include dispatching a research team, including Dr. Miyawaki, to research the potential natural vegetation of two areas, identifying suitable plant species, and formulating a planting plan. China-Japan academic exchange symposiums will also be held to foster academic exchange and technical cooperation between Chinese and Japanese parties. This will ensure that Miyawaki method reforestation techniques are passed on to local people with the hope that it will lead to planting activities on an appropriate scale to ensure quick reforestation and water purification in the region.

Fields
Preservation of surface soil and forestsPreservation of biodiversity and ecosystem
Grant year
FY2010 Activity Grants
Grant term
1 year
October 2010 - September 2011
Grant amount
4,570,000 yen
Activity region
Kunming and the Xishuangbanna Mangao Nature Reserve, Yunnan Province, China
Deforested mountains in the Xishuangbanna Mangao area of China's Yunnan Province

Overview of the Organization

Ayako Ishimura, Director
Representative
Ayako Ishimura, Director
Establishment
2001
Establishment purpose
Established to conserve the global environment, ensure local people are safe and healthy in body and spirit, and enhance their lives through the following activities:
  1. Greening desert using suitable tree species.
  2. Encouraging greening activity in areas of Japan that are deforested or lacking suitable vegetation.
  3. Raising awareness of the above activities to the wider public.
Main areas of activity
Ibaraki Prefecture and other areas of Japan, and Inner Mongolia and Yunnan Province, China
Staff
2 full-time staff members, 1 part-time staff member, 163 full members
Annual operating budget
18.55 million yen in 2007, 19.49 million yen in 2008, 33.22 million yen in 2009
WEB site
http://www.greenglobe.jp
Recent activities
  • (1) Cultivating chinquapin, ring-cupped oak, and machilus seedlings from acorns, with about 60,000 pots currently being cared for
  • (2) Planting activity involving forestry businesses, schools, and companies, and forest building, particularly in Tsukuba
  • (3) Planting in Bayanmuren, Inner Mongolia
  • (4) Research into potential natural vegetation in Kunming and the Xishuangbanna Mangao Nature Reserve, Yunnan Province, China
  • (5) Sampling pollen from cedar and other species