17 Oct 2024
In alignment with the United Nations' "Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030" initiative, Department of Health and Environmental Sciences and the Department of Industrial Design at XJTLU jointly hosted a "Social Design Workshop" addressing grassland degradation on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The workshop aims to enhance grassland restoration efficiency through innovative design and foster local community involvement in ecological conservation.
The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, launched by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), seeks to promote global ecosystem protection and restoration in support of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Within this framework, the degradation of grasslands on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau has attracted significant attention.
Dr Li Li from the Department of Health and Environmental Sciences says: “The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, known as the 'Water Tower of Asia' and a crucial ecological barrier for China, faces dual challenges from land-use changes and global climate change, leading to worsening grassland degradation.”
Dr Li explains that traditional grassland restoration methods—such as seeding tools imported from agricultural regions—often fail to suit the plateau's unique soil, terrain, and the lightweight nature of local grass seeds. This mismatch results in time-consuming and labour-intensive restoration efforts that are difficult to implement within pastoral communities.
To tackle this issue, the University organised a transdisciplinary workshop that brought together grassland restoration practitioners from Zhaqiong Village in Ruoergai County, Sichuan Province; Henan Mongolian Autonomous County in Qinghai Province; and the Nianbaoyuze Ecological Environmental Protection Association in Jiuzhi County, Qinghai Province. Participants collaboratively explored and designed grass-seeding tools tailored to the local environment.
During the workshop, faculty, students, and practitioners conducted in-depth analyses of the limitations of existing restoration tools. Professor Uromi Goodale from the Department of Health and Environmental Sciences explained the specific soil conditions necessary for grass seeds to germinate. Meanwhile, Professor Vicente Esteban designed conceptual sketches of enhanced restoration tools that are tailored to the landscape characteristics of the Tibetan Plateau.
They discussed improvement strategies based on the plateau's specific conditions. The project also plans to utilise the "Urban Living Lab" on the South Campus to simulate plateau terrain and soil conditions for field testing prototype tools, ensuring their practicality and effectiveness.
This transdisciplinary collaboration is expected to reduce labour requirements in grassland restoration, enabling greater participation from local community members in ecological rehabilitation. Moreover, the dissemination of these small, efficient restoration tools and methods will empower herders to address grassland degradation more effectively, allowing for timely interventions during the early stages of soil degradation.
Photo and content review: Dr Li Li
Edit: Luyao Wang
17 Oct 2024