Expanding the coverage and strengthening the management of wetland protected areas in Sichuan Province, China Pest Management Plan (Approved by CI-GEF Project Agency 2017-11-17)

1. The Main Purpose of Developing Pest Management Plan As a result of considerable work on removal of alien and invasive species (AIS), CI has developed guidelines for the use of chemical products and a format for a Pest Management Plan (PMP). A PMP is prepared by the Executing Entity when required by the CI-GEF Project Agency to ensure the use of best practice in the control and removal of alien and invasive plants, insects, and animals in compliance with GEF Environmental and Social Safeguards.

1. Brief Introduction of the Project Expanding the coverage and strengthening the management of wetland protected areas in Sichuan Province, China (hereafter shorten as “The project”) aims to expand and strengthen wetland protected areas in Sichuan Province China and also to mainstream biodiversity conservation and sustainable utilization of wetland resources. The project has two main components of which one focuses on strengthening site level management and standard raised for two wetland parks, namely:1） Xichang-Qionghai Wetland Park, and 2) Xinjin-Baihetan Wetland Park. The project doesn’t plan to promote agricultural production or change landscape by planting or transplanting. Accordingly, it has no attempt to use chemical pesticides. In the two wetland parks, farmers’ land rights have been requisitioned by local governments and agriculture have been totally given-up. Around the two wetland parks especially Xichang-Qionghai, farmers still plant cash crops and use peptides heavily. The project will try to demonstrate organic farming and reduction of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. As listed in its objective statement, the project aims to remove invasive species and help the Indigenous Peoples to develop eco-friendly agricultural practices by applying Conservation Agreement model.

2. Invasive Species 2.1 Invasive species in the water body of Xichang-Qionghai Wetland Due to the ideal agricultural conditions and good access to the markets in Xichang City, farmers around Xichang-Qionghai Wetland traditionally planted profitable cash crops and used to apply substantial local-made fertilizer and pesticides. Nitrogen, Phosphorus etc within the water-body of Xichang-Qionghai was overproof. The wetland was with evidently eutrophic characters. In the 60s of last century, some farmers introduced water hyacinth from Yunnan province to plant for pig feed and became a serious ecological disaster. To develop tourism and construct wetland park, the government of Xichang City spent huge funds to remove water hyacinth, sea lettuce and other invasive species floating on the water, mostly succeeded but some part called Xiaohai failed. Also in the 60s – 70s of last century, the center government of China required to fill in and abate area of lakes all over the country for more cultivated land. The Xichang-Qionghai Wetland was divided into two parts, the main part and small part.

The latter is also called as Xiaohai（Xiao in Chinese means Litter and Hai means

Lake）. Although the water hyacinth in the main part has been basically removed but all the surface of Xiaohai is still covered by water hyacinth and some other hydrophyte invasive species.

2.2 Invasive species in the mountains around Xichang-Qionghai Wetland The mountains around Xichang-Qionghai Wetland has also seriously suffered from invasive species, in particularly Corydalis Adenophorum, which rapidly occupied the lower part of artificial and monoculture eucalyptus and pine forests. In the last 40 years, the local forestry department has tried various ways and conducted programs to remove it. While some mixture forests show the arbor trees grow and Corydalis Adenophorum obviously reduced, while most areas are still occupied by Corydalis Adenophorum. 2.3 Demonstration of Non-Invasive Species in Xinjin-Baihetan Wetland Park Construction Unlike Xichang-Qionghai Wetland which is a typical lake wetland, the Xinjin-Baihetan Wetland is a tidal-flat area and its area is also comparatively small. Taking Xichang-Qionghaiand other wetlands’ the lessons on introducing invasive species to build artificial landscape, the administration of Xinjin-Baihetan Wetland Park engaged famous wetland expert from Chongqing University to design and supervise the whole park construction process, which ensures no invasive species planted due to park construction. Potentially, the landscape construction case of Xinjin-Baihetan Wetland Park could be a good demonstration of wetland construction in China. However, due to close to Min River and exposure to invasive species floating on the river like Ampullaria gigas spix and sea lettuce, reduction of invasive species is a critical issue for the wetland management.

3. Pest Management Strategy and Actions 3.1 Pest Management Strategy Given the situations of pesticide utilization and invasive species in and around the two wetland parks, also considering the available project resources, we suggest the project take the following Pest Management Strategy. ⚫ Demonstrate community participatory removal of floating invasive species in Xiaohai The administration of Xichang-Qionghai Wetland Park recognizes the failure of controlling water hyacinth and other invasive species in Xiaohai and welcome the project to take some innovative approach. We suggest that the wetland park administration sign a conservation agreement with local village to remove invasive species in Xiaohai and plant native species according to elaborate organic design and strict overseeing. The project Executing Agency, Conservation International, has initiated the first conservation agreement in 2006 in China. The organization’s abundant experiences of implementing conservation agreement will help to facilitate the wetland park administration and community to achieve common understanding of the threats faced by the wetland and the way to reduce, and then help both sides to negotiate to a fair conservation agreement. The conservation agreement could include the following issues, namely: 1) baseline of invasive species in Xiaohai; 2) Community’s responsibilities, in particularly removal of invasive species and organic farming; 3) ecotourism concession given from wetland park administration to community; 4) other terms like monitoring, penalty if there is nonperformance. ⚫ Demonstrate establishing intensive and sophisticated wetland vegetation interpretation system for environment education For the site of Xinjin-Baihetan Wetland Park, the negative impact from pest and invasive species have already been reduced to a rather low level, therefore it is highly suggested to translate the wetland landscape into an education system on biodiversity of wetland, and also design dynamic visitor participatory monitoring system to monitor invasive species’ intrusion. As the conservation awareness is increasing, the project will assist the wetland park administration to design and implement volunteering programs to reduce invasive species. 3.2 Actions Xichang-Qionghai Wetland ⚫ Conduct Biodiversity baseline survey in Xiaohai, Xichang-Qionghai Wetland. The survey will be carried out by not only professional experts from scientific organizations but also NGOs and volunteers; ⚫ Engage scientists from various studying subjects to analyze the baseline data and discuss methodology of removing invasive species. Assessment will be done at baseline and evaluation surveys; ⚫ Develop community selection standard and diffuse project information to villages around Xichang-Qionghai Wetland; ⚫ Openly select an administrative village and negotiate to conservation agreement; ⚫ Implement conservation agreement and demonstrate community participatory invasive species management. Trainings referring to all aspects of farm management and marketing will be organized based on the plan; ⚫ Develop education program to show strength of wetland biodiversity and introduce methodology of wetland restoration. The relation and interaction between native species and invasive species should be one of the focus. Xinjin-Baihetan Wetland ⚫ Engage expert to investigate baseline of invasive species, ⚫ Design and implement volunteering programs to dynamic monitoring and reduce invasive species. 3.3 Monitoring and Evaluation By the end of the project implementation, it should achieve the following progress. ⚫ Number of ha where pest management will be applied; Target is 250 ha (200 ha wetland of Xichang-Qionghai and 50 ha wetland of Xinjin-Bailutan). ⚫ Percentage of pest management area where Integrated Vector Management is applied; Target is 60%.