PRC-GEF Partnership: An IEM Approach to the Conservation of Biodiversity in Dryland Ecosystems - under the PRC-GEF Partnership on Land Degradation in Dryland Ecosystem Program

Project Objective: The Project goal is to achieve significant reductions in loss of biodiversity (BD) through addressing non-sustainable land use practices and the underlying causal factor of poverty in selected dryland ecosystems affected by land degradation (LD) in three provinces in China’s Western Region. The Project’s development objective is to achieve a sustainable increase in productive capacity, both on and off farm, and to offer increased access to economic and social resources including education, health and social networks while improving the bio-physical environment in China’s western region. The Project’s global environmental objective is demonstrating cross-area synergies associated with the development of and implementation of site-specific IEM strategies leading to: (i) increases in biodiversity conserved; (ii) partial restoration of ecosystem integrity and recovery of underlying functions and services; and (iii) promotion and of use of appropriate renewable energy technologies designed to reduce pressure of forest resources and project sites.