A scientific expedition team trekked through mountains and rivers, focusing on eco-poverty alleviation

      Zhana County is located in the middle reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo River valley in Shannan City, Tibet Autonomous Region, with high mountains to the north and south, sparse vegetation, and a fragile ecological environment. But in recent years, Zhana County has carried out eco-poverty alleviation work, which not only brought ecological benefits to the area but also helped more than 1,000 people out of poverty, making a significant contribution to Zhana County’s exit from the list of impoverished counties this year.

      The Eco-Poverty Alleviation Research Group of the Humanities Scientific Expedition Team from China Agricultural University’s Fengyun Society conducted a research trip to Zhana County to study eco-poverty alleviation. They aimed to understand the local situation regarding eco-poverty alleviation, gain a basic understanding of its model, and hoped to provide insights for other areas still working on poverty alleviation by summarizing their findings.

      The research activity began on August 1. On August 1 and 2, team members conducted interviews with relevant officials at the Forestry and Grassland Bureau, the Development and Reform Commission, the Agriculture Bureau, and the Poverty Alleviation Office. They gained an in-depth understanding of the current state of eco-poverty alleviation in Zhana County and related policy measures, such as the government attracting enterprises through investment promotion while offering preferential loan interest rates to encourage development.

      Eco-poverty alleviation work in Zhana County is closely tied to local enterprises. Therefore, on August 3 and 4, the team visited Elion Group, Xipu Agriculture, Zangcao Company, and the Zhana County Modern Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Industrial Park, and conducted interviews with relevant supervisors. They learned in detail about the role these companies played in eco-poverty alleviation, such as prioritizing job opportunities and training for impoverished households.

      Considering that less information on the ecological environment had been obtained from previous government interviews, the team visited the Ecology and Environment Bureau on August 5 and conducted an in-depth interview with the bureau director. They learned in detail about the ecological work carried out in Zhana County in recent years and the resulting environmental improvements. They also gained an understanding of the bureau’s role in environmental monitoring and corporate oversight.

      To view the effects of eco-poverty alleviation from the perspective of villagers, the team traveled by vehicle on August 6 to Zhangda Village in Azha Township to conduct household interviews, speaking with both registered poor households and those who had been lifted out of poverty. This provided a deeper understanding of the specific manifestations of the effects of eco-poverty alleviation.

      On August 7, team members organized the previous interview records and logs, shared their feelings and insights, and gathered ideas for writing the research report. With this, the scientific expedition team’s research activities in Zhana County were successfully concluded. It is believed that they will later produce a meaningful research report.

      During this one-week research activity, the team members gained a relatively comprehensive understanding of the current state and model of eco-poverty alleviation in Zhana County. In addition, they experienced the warmth and hospitality of their Tibetan hosts and were captivated by the area’s unique culture.