In love with Yunnan
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Edward Grumbine attends a Lisu family's wedding in Yingjiang county in Dehong Jingpo and Dai autonomous prefecture. Provided to China Daily |
He is a scholar from Arizona who thought the southwest of China would be a good subject to study. Since then, the research scientist at the Kunming Institute of Botany has been constantly surprised, he tells Hu Yongqi in Kunming.
To an environmental expert from the United States, Southwest China's Yunnan province is a rich field to explore, with its diverse geography and vastly varied flora, fauna and anthropology. After all, the province borders the snowy foothills of Tibet on the north and has the virgin forests of Xishuangbanna in the south.
In addition, it boasts the diversity of 25 ethnic groups.
Edward Grumbine, senior scientist at the Kunming Institute of Botany under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has been here for five years and he has published a series of academic papers on conservation, environmental resource planning and policies.
One of his special areas of study is the ecological impact of dams along the Nujiang River in the western part of Yunnan.
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| Grandpa from Arizona |
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In 2004, former Premier Wen Jiabao stopped the construction of dams that were planned along the Nujiang River after concerned groups questioned how the dams would affect the land and the people.
"I thought it would be very interesting to see the real Nujiang River so I booked a flight and flew here," says Grumbine. "Yunnan has a special diversity and I wanted to see it with my own eyes."
On arrival in Kunming, he stayed just one night in the city before rushing off to Liuku, capital of Nujiang Lisu autonomous prefecture.
"When I first saw the Nujiang River, I couldn't believe the landscape and how beautiful the valley was. Then I got over the mountain to the Lancang River valley. It was another special place," Grumbine says.
Since then, Grumbine has focused on the Lancang River, upstream of the Mekong River. He considers there is more at stake here because more people depend on the river than on the Nujiang and Jinsha rivers.
"I suggest conversations and cooperation mechanisms between the countries that the river flows through should be established. The sooner the better," he says emphatically.
As soon as Grumbine made the decision that he wanted to understand a lot more of what goes on between man and nature in this region, he plotted his course.
