The Workshop on Ecosystem Services for Poverty Alleviation (ESPA) under Multiple Stresses in Mountainous Western China kicked off in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province from September 27 to October 1, 2010.

Workshop on ESPA  held in IMHE (Picture by IMHE)

Prof. ZHU Yongguan, director of Institute of Urban Environment under Chinese Academy of Sciences, delivered a report titled “Ecology and Conservation” at the workshop, followed by a group discussion on a wide range of topics including climate change, ecosystem services, geological and natural disasters, natural resources and environmental pollution, and poverty, development and social participation.

Participants also took fieldwork on ecological services and poverty alleviation in local counties after the workshop. With the first-hand data gained there, they proposed a guideline for applying for further projects of ESPA. 

The workshop was designed to boost ties between different partners of ESPA which is co-funded by Department for International Development, Economic and Social Research Council, and Natural Environment Research Council of UK.