Wu Ping, DRC

2018-8-13

Ecological and environmental degradation and poverty go with each other and have formed a vicious circle. In our country, this problem is particularly prominent. Nowadays, green development has gradually become an important trend of China's economic and social development. And ecological poverty alleviation has become a specific aspect of the concept of green and coordinated development in the field of poverty alleviation and development. It is the core content of the poverty alleviation with Chinese characteristics and there are many practices and experience in its exploration. First, giving priority to ecological protection in poverty alleviation and development. China has been alleviating poverty for nearly 30 years. Many documents related to poverty alleviation pay special attention to the ecological fragility and ecological destruction in poor areas. Ecological poverty alleviation is a new poverty alleviation method that starts with changing the ecological environment in poor areas and fundamentally solves the problem of farmers’ poverty so as to realize sustainable development in poor areas. Ecological poverty alleviation has increasingly been under heated discussion that attracts the attention of the whole society, and we have been actively exploring new ways to solve the old problems. Second, multi-channel ecological poverty alleviation instead of single financial allocation. Poverty alleviation under the guidance of the concept of ecological civilization aims to seek the simultaneous growth and balance between economic, ecological and social benefits. In the practice of poverty alleviation in the construction of ecological civilization, China has successively initiated relevant reforms in the ownership of natural resources, improved its ecological compensation policy, implemented ecological projects such as returning farmland to forest or grassland, and carried out various reforms such as the policy of purchasing planted and commercial forests and carbon trading for ecological benefits, which have been matched with these reforms, thus transforming the ecological benefits of forests into economic benefits during the whole process and through various means. Third, transforming ecological resources into industrial development advantages. Giving full play to the advantages of local natural resources, introducing production projects, promoting economic development and solving the problem of employment and income increase among the poor groups are the main ways of poverty alleviation and development of ecological industry as well as the long-term choice which will help to win the battle against poverty. The core of its poverty alleviation mechanism is to promote economic development based on local conditions and market conditions, consolidate the foundation for poverty alleviation, stimulate people’s motivation to get rid of poverty, and change passive poverty alleviation into active poverty alleviation. Fourth, ensure the effective implementation of poverty alleviation through ecological emigration relocation. Judging from the development process and practice of ecological poverty alleviation, the establishment of green systems, protection of ecological environment and rational use of ecological resources are the basis for the transition from ecological poverty alleviation to green development. The important channels to casting off poverty and becoming prosperous are to actively develop the characteristic ecological industry that combines planting, breeding and selling, integrates agriculture, culture and tourism, as well as harmonize the first, second and tertiary industry. Making full use of ecological policies and actively striving for relevant economic subsidies and technical assistance are crucial guarantee for ecological poverty alleviation. On the whole, the exploration of the existing ecological poverty alleviation practice in our country has resulted in an experience that can be promoted and replicated. It will surely help speed up the green development and the formation of overall prosperity.