Back in 2004, while conducting field research in a village in Mao County, Sichuan, a local told me: “The pepper trees are climbing the mountain.” He meant that while pepper trees once thrived best in the river valleys, that was no longer the case; they now grow better halfway up the slopes, and can even be grown on peaks where it was previously impossible. This was the “warming” everyone was talking about, and it left a deep impression on me. — Du Ling, Chengdu Shuguang Community Capacity Building Centre
Growing Apples Like Grapes
In the past, the Northwest region suffered droughts in nine out of every ten years. Now, there is a noticeable increase in rainfall, and this seems to be a long-term trend. For rural areas, the most significant impact of climate change is extreme weather. During a business trip to a village, I saw rows of trellises in an orchard from a distance and assumed they were grapes; only upon closer inspection did I realise they were apple trees. I later learned that this is a new variety of apple promoted by the government using dwarfing and high-density planting. Because the trees are small, produce more fruit per plant, and carry a heavier load, the orchards require trellis systems. These not only stabilise the trees but also support drip irrigation systems and hail nets. This helps farmers mitigate losses during extreme droughts or hailstorms. — Hu Xiaojun, Gansu Yishanyuishui Environment and Social Development Centre
What Kind of Energy Resilience Do Villages Need?
Last year, Ruicheng in Shanxi suffered a rare cold wave. High-voltage power lines leading from the plains to the mountains froze, causing widespread power outages. For a week, there was no heating and no water. Four solar panels provided the only way for the entire village to charge their mobile phones. In the southern Shanxi region, there was traditionally no habit of stockpiling coal. Of course, in recent years, coal stoves were banned due to severe air pollution. After the transition from coal to electricity, there has become an over-reliance on the power grid. — Du Jie, Jinqing Sustainable Development Public Welfare Service CentreFrom energy to infrastructure, production to daily life, and livelihoods to health, the severe challenges of climate change are becoming increasingly apparent in rural China. The government has introduced a series of policies to enhance the capacity of rural areas to cope with climate change. However, these policies focus more on the promotion of technology and infrastructure construction. Systemic support is still lacking for smallholder farmers—who make up over 98% of agricultural operators—and for rural villages that are increasingly “hollowing out”. At the same time, adaptation strategies that rely on external resource inputs and are driven by administrative departments often limit the capacity and space for farmers to take independent action. Against this backdrop, the role of social organisations in helping rural areas tackle climate change has become particularly critical. Through local research, frontline intervention, and community mobilisation, they can fill the gaps in policy and provide valuable grassroots experience on how policies can be better implemented.
● After conducting climate risk research in Xianniangxi Village in the northern mountainous area of Conghua, the Guangzhou Conghua Shengeng Social Work Service Centre found that as villagers reduced rice cultivation, many irrigation canals had fallen into disrepair. This led to water shortages, eutrophication of water bodies, and potential flood risks. Consequently, in October this year, they mobilised villagers to carry out small-scale disaster mitigation by dredging and repairing canals. While reducing climate risks, this also awakened the community’s collective memory and emotional ties to the village. Photo provided by: Feng LianAlthough social organisations began engaging with climate issues twenty years ago, only a few have consciously integrated climate change adaptation into their strategies and project designs. On the other hand, these organisations possess extensive experience in developing rural industries and supporting vulnerable groups, and they maintain close ties with grassroots communities. Their past work actually contains a wealth of practical, indigenous wisdom for coping with climate change. In the face of the current climate crisis, there is an urgent need to summarise and promote truly useful experiences. More importantly, there is a need for tailored approaches that fully mobilise every individual and every available resource within a community—which is precisely where local social organisations excel. Based on this, with the support of the Oxfam (Hong Kong) Beijing Office, Foodthink has launched the “Action Path for Rural Social Organisations to Cope with Climate Change in China” research. This initiative seeks to summarise and explore the achievements, challenges, and needs of rural social organisations in climate change work, providing scientific and practical references and recommendations for social organisations, funders, government departments, communities, scholars, and other stakeholders to help rural social organisations better navigate the challenges of climate change.
– Research Subjects –
For the purposes of this research, “rural social organisations” refers to institutions and groups carrying out social services and public welfare work in rural areas, including but not limited to:◉ Traditional rural development and poverty alleviation organisations; ◉ Social organisations conducting environmental protection work in rural areas;
◉ Social work agencies serving vulnerable groups in rural areas;
◉ Volunteer organisations engaged in rural disaster relief;
◉ Student organisations conducting targeted rural field research or work;
◉ Spontaneously established village volunteer organisations;
◉ Rural student aid organisations;
◉ Research and advocacy organisations focusing on rural agriculture and farmers.
Specific areas of work include, but are not limited to, agriculture, energy and infrastructure, vulnerable populations, disaster prevention and mitigation, environmental protection, and cultural education.
There are no restrictions on the form of organisation, such as: formally registered social organisations or foundations; enterprises and cooperatives registered as businesses but providing public welfare social services in rural areas; or unregistered community self-organisations or volunteer groups with a relatively stable team.
– Research Outputs –
The information you provide will support the completion of our research into the “Action Path for Rural Social Organisations to Cope with Climate Change in China”. Based on the questionnaire feedback, the project team will invite industry experts and social organisations to participate in seminars and exchange sessions across different regions to share research findings and practical experiences. Foodthink will also use this research to delve deeper into the challenges faced and the achievements made by social organisations and the rural communities they serve, presenting these stories through our official account and media matrix.
– Questionnaire –
We cordially invite you to complete the “Action Path for Rural Social Organisations to Cope with Climate Change in China” questionnaire. Please scan the QR code below or click “here” to fill out the questionnaire, which takes approximately 10 minutes. Upon receiving the responses, we will invite selected organisations for in-depth interviews.
The deadline for the research is 31 December 2024
For any questions, suggestions, or other feedback regarding this research,
