This website briefly describes the activities and impacts of the project “Support of indigenous knowledge of ethnic minorities for the use and conservation of biological diversity in three ecological regions of , ” (2002-2005).

, and 25 of the 55 officially recognized ethnic minority groups live in Yunnan. They pursue varied land use practices, such as paddy cultivation, shifting cultivation and agro-pastoralism.

Large parts of the rural population depend on the use of biological diversity for their livelihood and cash income. But in the process of transition to a market economy natural resources are threatened by unsustainable land use and overexploitation of natural resources. Traditional knowledge systems are being eroded. The ethnic minorities living in the region are marginalized and impoverished.

The 1992 Convention on Biodiversity (CBD), in particular Article 8j (in-situ conservation), recognizes the importance of traditional knowledge for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity. It calls on the Contracting Parties to respect and preserve the traditional knowledge, innovations and practices of indigenous peoples and local communities. In China, Article 8j is still insufficiently implemented.

From 2002 to 2005 CBIK implemented the project “Support of indigenous knowledge of ethnic minorities for the use and conservation of biological diversity in three ecological regions of Yunnan”. The project''''s objective was to improve the management of biological diversity by strengthened support for the traditional knowledge of local communities. By focusing on the protection and promotion of traditional knowledge for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, this project contributed to the implementation of the CBD, in particular article 8j, in China.

CBIK implemented the project in close collaboration with local partner institutions, including: the Yi Research Institute in , the Hani Research Institute in , the Jinping County Forestry Bureau, Fengshuiling Nature Reserve and the Tibetan Research Institute in Diqing. The programme “Implementing the Biodiversity Convention” of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH supported the project on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

Five sites (indigenous communities) in three different eco-regions of Yunnan (view map) were selected for the project implementation:

(1) Haini administrative village in Highland Tibetan Plateau in ;

(2) Miheme administrative village in Midland Yun-Gui Plateau in Central Yunnan;and in Lowland Tropical Area in :

(3) Laobo administrative village and Baimei natural village;

(4) Mengsong administrative village and

(5) Taiyang natural village,