ASIAN JOURNEYS’ GREEN DESERT YEP
December 13, 2008
Youth Expedition Project (YEP)
NORTHERN CHINA – INNER MONGOLIA, HEBEI
A Community Service Project organized by ASIAN JOURNEYS
A Youth Expedition Project supported by National Youth Council (Singapore)
Asian Journeys’ Green Desert Project was one of the projects highlighted at the National Youth Council YEP Networking Session on 6 Dec 2008 held at the NYC, Somerset Road.
Over 40 youth leaders were invited by the YEP team to consider organizing youth expedition teams to various ASEAN countries as well as China and India.
Lawrence Ko, AJ’s ED, was one of the speakers who shared about youth social engagement through the YEP. Lawrence challenged the youth leaders, many of them who were finishing their military stints or were already in the universities, to get involved in social activism and organizing young people for community change.
Citing Reinhold Niebuhr, the great American thinker in the 20th C, Lawrence asserted that “It is better to be creative than to be learned. Creativity is the essence of life.” There is much that can be done to study and understand the social challenges facing Asia and the environmental challenge is but one of these.
Later at the rug sessions, Benjamin Lim, a volunteer leader of Asian Journeys and president of AJ’s Green Desert Club, was at hand to also enthuse inquirers who were exploring getting involved in China projects especially the Green Desert project to help build the Great Green Wall of China through tree-planting in the northern provinces and countryside of China.
A. Desertification in Northeast Asia (China)
Desertification is the degradation of land in arid, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid areas. It is a gradual process of the loss of soil productivity and the thinning out of the vegetative cover resulting from human activities and climatic variations such as prolonged droughts and floods. What is alarming is that the land’s topsoil, which takes centuries to build up, can, if mistreated, be blown and washed away in a few seasons. Among human causal factors are overcultivation, overgrazing, deforestation and poor irrigation practices. Such overexploitation is generally caused by economic and social pressure, ignorance, war and drought.
The Chinese authorities have made the battle against desertification a top priority and are investing huge resources in putting it in check. There is a massive reforestation programme, a plan to lay down a “Green wall” of trees and plants stretching from Beijing to Inner Mongolia, and farmers are being urged to cut back on livestock numbers.
B. Background
In Sep 2002, Asian Journeys was invited by the local governments of Duolun and Dalateqi in Inner Mongolia to participate in tree-planting conservation program. A site visit was made in September 2002 with a small team of enthusiasts to meet local officials and understand the proposed projects. Asian Journeys will embark on organizing a 5-year program 2007-2011 to mobilize Singaporean youths in partnership with China youths from Beijing to participate in the Green Desert project viz., to plant trees both in Beijing and in the grasslands of Inner Mongolia. The Youth Expedition Project (YEP) supported by National Youth Council of Singapore is one of the learning programmes which can help accomplish these goals and objectives.
C. Objectives
A. To help Singaporean youths develop awareness of Environmental issues in general and of the growing problem of desertification in North East Asia in particular, especially in Inner Mongolia
B. To help Singaporeans learn and participate in Green Desert Environmental Promotion Efforts in Beijing, the capital city which faces some of the worst sandstorms of all time because of the growing desertification of the grasslands of Inner Mongolia, especially in the lead up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics
C. To rally youth volunteers from Singapore, Beijing and international students in Beijing to join in reforestation efforts through tree-planting, and addressing issues related to macro and micro policies, technology and urban lifestyles to ensure sustainable development
D. Goals: To Help Address the Issue of Sandstorm and Air Pollution in Beijing due to Desertification in Northern China Grasslands
1. By researching and raising awareness of the need for environmental protection through youth-initiated programs in Singapore to educate and mobilize resources
2. By identifying with the local populace of Beijing city and participating with the city officials and environmental NGOS in their myriad of efforts to confront the environmental problem of sandstorm and air pollution due to desertification through various programs to jointly educate and raise awareness of the global efforts in addressing issues of desertification and environmental degradation.
Other project partners past and present include:
Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing YMCA, UNISIM (Singapore), NTU Environmental Engineering dept, Hyflux(Hydrochem in Shanghai)
And past participants include student volunteers from NUS, NTU, Singapore Polytechnic, Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Nanyang Polytechnic, Nanyang JC
For more information and partnership possibiltiies, please call:
Project Team Facilitator: Benjamin Lim (+65-97717248)
Project Coordinator: Lawrence Ko (Tel +65-9742 9493) or
email lawrence@asianjourneys.org
GREEN DESERT CHILDREN’S CLUB PROGRAMMES NOV/DEC 08
November 5, 2008
Asia’s Environmental Challenge
July 26, 2008
Asian Journeys led in an environmental workshop at GoForth 08 conference entitled Asia’s Environmental Challenge, which was facilitated by Lawrence Ko and assisted by Benjamin Lim, Yang Pih Foon, KC Heng and Tan Yeow Khuan.
The workshop participants represented a range of nationalities coming from Malaysia, indonesia, Philippines, India, Hong Kong, Japan, Cameroon and of course Singapore.
Lawrence briefly traced the historical development of the enviromental movement from the first Earth Day in 1970 through to the Rio Earth Summit in 1992 to the present and urged more Christians to get involved in enviromental movement as stewards of God’s creation. He presented the Christian prespective of man’s privilege to be stewards of creation from Adam to Noah, and the covenant and mandate to Abraham’s descendants to care for the land of milk and honey given by God to the Israelites, and highlighted the many instructions to care for the land as examples of God’s concern for the environment.
Benjamin then shared about the inter-relatedness of the macro issues ranging from energy, economics to the environment and gave examples from global climate change to the problem of desertification on how these issues impacted the poor. He also shared how the group of youths who embarked on the environmental youth expedition to northern China last year launched te Green Desert Club as an interest group of Asian Journeys, to encourage environmental awareness among youths in Asia.
Pih Foon, who had helped Singapore Polytechnic win the gold medal for enviromental reporting in June 08, shared about the Millenium Development Goals and introduced the Millenium Assessment template and resources to give participants an overview of the range of issues being discussed with regards to ecosystem resources.
Case studies on northern China’s sandstorm and green desert project as well as tropical rainforests and mangrove swamp conservation projects were given to participants as examples of Asia’s hotspots and environmental challenges, which as the Chinese often put it, are also opportunities for taking in the midst of these crises.
Khuan led the discussions on how we can creatively engage in environmental stewardship programmes in our daily lives, initiating awareness programmes in and beyond Singapore to encourage a bottoms-up approach beyond the top-down governemental initiatives in Singapore.
KC Heng, a gold medalist winner in last year’s garden festival, gave hands on demonstrations on how we can begin sowing seeds and planting palms in our homes and participate in NParks programmes to green the community. Participants were given a pack of soil and seeds in colourful bio-degradable containers as take aways to begin their green journeys.
One of the participants, Pastor Wattanabe from Tokyo Baptist Church, himself an insectologist by training, was very encouraged by the discussions and determined to explore together how churches can begin to participate in environmental awareness programmes in the community, both back home in Japan as well as collaborating with Asian Journeys in joint projects in Asia.
Environmental Sabbath Service
July 10, 2008
The United Nations Environmental Sabbath Service
From “Only One Earth,” a United Nations Environment Programme publication for “Environmental Sabbath/Earth Rest Day,” June 1990; UN Environment Programme, DC2-803 United Nations, New York, NY 10017.
A Call to Prayer
We who have lost our sense and our senses – our touch, our smell, our vision of who we are; we who frantically force and press all things, without rest for body or spirit, hurting our earth and injuring ourselves: we call a halt.
We want to rest. We need to rest and allow the earth to rest. We need to reflect and to rediscover the mystery that lives in us, that is the ground of every unique expression of life, the source of the fascination that calls all things to communion.
We declare a Sabbath, a space of quiet: for simple being and letting be; for recovering the great, forgotten truths; for learning how to live again.
A Prayer of Awareness
Today we know of the energy that moves all things: the oneness of existence, the diversity and uniqueness of every moment of creation, every shape and form, the attraction, the allurement, the fascination that all things have for one another.
Humbled by our knowledge, chastened by surprising revelations, with awe and reverence we come before the mystery of life.
A Prayer of Sorrow
Reader: We have forgotten who we are.
We have forgotten who we are
We have alienated ourselves from the unfolding of the cosmos
We have become estranged from the movements of the earth
We have turned our backs on the cycles of life.
We have forgotten who we are.
We have sought only our own security
We have exploited simply for our own ends
We have distorted our knowledge
We have abused our power.
We have forgotten who we are.
Now the land is barren
And the waters are poisoned
And the air is polluted.
We have forgotten who we are.
Now the forests are dying
And the creatures are disappearing
And the humans are despairing.
We have forgotten who we are.
We ask forgiveness
We ask for the gift of remembering
We ask for the strength to change.
Silence
A Prayer of Healing
Reader: We join with the earth and with each other.
To bring new life to the land
To restore the waters
To refresh the air
We join with the earth and with each other.
To renew the forests
To care for the plants
To protect the creatures
We join with the earth and with each other.
To celebrate the seas
To rejoice the sunlight
To sing the song of the stars
We join with the earth and with each other.
To recall our destiny
To renew our spirits
To reinvigorate our bodies
We join with the earth and with each other.
To create the human community
To promote justice and peace
To remember our children
Reader: We join together as many and diverse expressions of one loving mystery: for the healing of the earth and the renewal of all life.
A Prayer of Gratitude
Reader: We rejoice in all life.
We live in all things
All things live in us
We rejoice in all life.
We live by the sun
We move with the stars
We rejoice in all life.
We eat from the earth
We drink from the rain
We breathe from the air
We rejoice in all life.
We share with the creatures
We have strength through their gifts
We rejoice in all life.
We depend on the forests
We have knowledge through their secrets
We rejoice in all life.
We have the privilege of seeing and understanding
We have the responsibility of caring
We have the joy of celebrating.
Reader: We are full of the grace of creation
We are graceful
We are grateful
We rejoice in all life.
DESERTS AND SANDSTORMS OVER NORTH CHINA
July 10, 2008
Case Study : Desertification and Sandstorms in China
By BENJAMIN LIM
Introduction
One third of China’s land is affected by desertification. Damages due to desertification are estimated to be about USD6.5bn every year. Desertification does not just affect the livelihood of people living in the drylands. It also affects cities even neighboring countries in the form of sandstorms[i]. Sandstorms occur in China every year. These sandstorms transport enormous amounts of soil and dust from their source areas in Mongolia and China to the rest of North-East Asia. Though a natural event in North Asia for thousands of years, these sandstorms are increasing in intensity and frequency.
What is causing the increase in frequency and intensity?
Studies have cited increasing desertification as the main reason. The deserts provided sand, dust and unstable states of hot air on the barren soil surfaces. These together with strong wind from the geographic formations of these areas, provided the pre-conditions for strong sandstorms[ii].
Human factors
Careless use of productive land and water resources, which are already scarce in these regions, through activities such as over-grazing, over-cultivation and large scale irrigation of land have contributed to the rate of desertification. Population growth and rapid rate of urbanization also causes people to increase the rate of activities on the land as they seek to improve life. [iii]
Global climate change has also been cited as a factor as temperature changes brings about increasing frequency of drought to the drylands.[iv]
Relationship between vegetation and sandstorms
Research has shown that increased vegetation cover can slow down wind speeds as much as by 40% to 90%[v].
Is it just tree planting?
“The socio-economic aspects (human dimension) of dryland degradation need to be given more attention. The emphasis should be on the people who use the land, not only on the land they use.”[vi]
“Desertification control is not only an environmental improvement initiative but also a local survival and development issue.” [vii]
What has been done?
Measures have been taken to prevent and reverse desertification. These include conversion of rangeland to grassland, croplands to forests/grasslands, relocation and rehabilitation of villagers to prevent their dependence on local ecosystems. Education of villagers, subsidies given for good practices and reforestation projects such as the Three North Shelterbelt Program or the “Green Great Wall”. These measures aim not only to improve the environment but also the livelihood of people.
[i] “Global Alarm: Dust and Sand Storm from the World’s Drylands”, United Nations, from the Foreword by
[ii] Ci Longjun, Disasters of strong sandstorms over large areas and the spread of land desertification in China, in Global Alarm: Dust and Sandstorm from the World’s drylands”, United Nations, pg 216
[iii] Ibid, p220
[iv] Ibid p222
[v] Ibid, p220
[vi] Victor R. Squires,Dust and sandstorms: an early warning of impending disaster, in Global Alarm: Dust and Sandstorm from the World’s drylands”, United Nations, pg 15
[vii] China: The Role of Policies in Combating Desertification,Xiaoxia Jia,National Bureau to Combat Desertification, State Forestry Administration, P.R. China, presented in session 3-National Cases studies, at the Desertification and the International Policy Imperative. 17-19 December 2006, Algiers, <http://www.inweh.unu.edu/inweh/drylands/IYDD.htm>
MILESTONES ON THE GREEN JOURNEY
July 7, 2008
BY JOANNE WONG WEIYAN, NTU student volunteer
The Singapore River Clean-Up History
July 2, 2008
The first Prime Minister of Singapore, now Minister Mentor, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, had the right vision when he said about the Singapore River back in 1977, “It should be a way of life to keep the water clean, It should be a way of life to keep the water clean, to keep every stream, every culvert, every rivulet, to keep every stream, every culvert, every rivulet, free from unnecessary pollution.”
Since Singapore was founded in 1819, the Singapore River had been the heart of trading and business activities. However, as population grew with urbanization, the waterways leading to the Singapore River and Kallang Basin became polluted with sewage, industrial waste, animal and farm waste, and domestic waste.
By 1977, the Singapore River no longer resembled a river with its black water foul odour, and no river life. This was what triggered MM’s vision of clean rivers.
In 1977, The Ministry of Environment in conjunction with other ministries and agencies, drew up a comprehensive Action Plan to clean up the river. The first task was to remove the sources of pollution by resettling more than 16,000 families into public housing estates with proper sewage, waste storage and removal facilities, and relocating and phasing out 2,800 industries, 5,000 street hawkers, 610 pig farms and 500 duck farms to other areas with proper pollution control and wastage management facilities. Then, work on improving the Singapore River began.
The riverbed was dredged to remove the deposits over the years, and the quay steps and rubble along Kallang River were repaired and the walkway was tiled and beautified. Other facilities like river walls and piers were added to make the Kallang Basin a riverside park.
To manage and control pollution, vertical gratings and float booms were installed in the canals and rivers and to trap litter and debris.
Also, public education programmes were implemented to educate people about littering and dumping wastes in the rivers. Regular monitoring and checks were done to ensure maintenance. Finally, the cleaning of the six rivers was completed in 1987 at a cost of $200 million.
Today, the Singapore River boasts of its success: a popular tourist attraction because of its old charm, alfresco restaurants and pubs, and bumboat rides that walk one down memory lane. But most of all, its appearance echoes MM Lee’s vision of a clean, unpolluted river, just the way it should be.
Here’s a poetic vision of the River…
as you leaned on the railings at Merlion Park you see this river, its surface greenish dark, jostling with strength phosphorescence rippling the scales of a dragon, shimmering.
Raffles saw a future in these shores
and in his wake came a delegation of others,
the rubber barons,
the merchants.
Once,
tongkangs bobbing on its waters, like prehistoric fishes disgorging their contents to the warehouses
on the quays
the goods to feed a city.
Once,
its waters darkly polluted, like a lady gone tardy tossed up damaged bows
plastic fragments
dead fowls
and assorted flotsam of a growing city
Today,
walk her shores, explore her, the shops, the shrines, the skyscrapers, all, steps of weathered granite & stone walls and drink with buddies on a riverside sarabat stall.
Now, on a quiet night,
as you lean on the railings at Merlion Park, you see this river, its surface greenish dark on skin ever undulating
dancing starlight
city lights
you feel you are not alone.
It breathes, it moves with a pulse of our own …
The River- Cheong Lee San
(Permission obtained)
Winner of The Straits Times National Day Poetry Competition, July 1987
BY RACHEL LIM
NTU STUDENT VOLUNTEER
GoForth Workshop on ASIA’S ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGE
July 1, 2008
Asian Journeys is privileged to be leading an environmental advocacy workshop at the GoForth National Missions Conference 2008 at the Suntec Convention Centre on Jul 19, 2008. The workshop is entitled “Asia’s Environmental Challenge” and will be led by AJ’s ED Lawrence Ko and assisted by AJ’s Green Desert project facilitators K.C. Heng, Yang Pih Foon, Tan Yeow Khuan and Benjamin Lim.
The write-up introducing the workshop is as follows :
Asia faces tremendous environmental issues and challenges as it enters into rapid industrialization and is impacted by the globalised economy. How can Christians meaningfully participate in environmental care and help advocate the stewardship of God’s creation?
The workshop will outline a brief survey of the environmental movement and provide a Christian perspective on environmental care and stewardship. There will be group discussions on the issues related to energy, economics and environment to help raise awareness on the integral linkages of these three key areas.
The workshop will also briefly examine the hotspots in Asia and explore some concrete ideas for individual as well as group projects to encourage greater environmental involvement by Christians as stewards of God’s creation.
Help encourage Christians young and old to attend this workshop by promoting this event and journey with us towards a greater Christian action in recovering the hope of environmental care and renewal.
To register for this workshop, please visit www.goforth.org.sg or write to info@asianjourneys.org for enquiries.
A Desert Song: An Oasis in Inner Mongolia
September 3, 2007
I have put roads in deserts, streams in thirsty lands.
This summer, a small team from Asian Journeys visited the Inner Mongolian grasslands on a Green Desert exploratory trip, hosted by the Duolun county government.
We crossed over the mountains north of Beijing on a coach with sleeping berths, admiring the ancient fragmented sections of the Great Wall along the way as we meander along the cool mountain roads. Read more
Youth involvement in environmental care and advocacy
July 7, 2007
On June 23, 2007, a group of 15 youths from various polytechnics and tertiary institutions, as well as working adult volunteers, were commissioned as chartered members of Asian Journeys’ Green Desert Club, as an encouragement for them to get involved in environmental care and awareness raising projects.
These youths had undertaken a project to Beijing and participated with the Beijing Jiaotong University students (from the Green Family Club, also an environmental interest group on campus) in organising youth forums, environmental concert and tree-planting in the countryside.
On that bright sunny day at the Raffles House on Fort Canning Hill, these youths participated in a simple commissioning service preceding the launch of the Green Desert Club. The proceedings were led by several Christian pastors from Anglican, Presbyterian and Methodist churches, each sharing his faith perspectives for environmental stewardship through a litany of prayers and Scriptural recitation.
The Very Revd Kuan Kim Seng, Dean of St Andrew’s Cathedral, was gracious to be present to share an exhortation from Deuteronomy reminding the assembled of the Creator’s care for His creation and encouraging Christians to be actively promoting environmental stewardship.
Asian Journeys’ ED Lawrence Ko together with the clergy supportive of Green Desert Club, from left Rev Jimmy Tan, Rev Barry Leong, Rev Derrick Lau, The Very Revd Kuan Kim Seng, Dean of St Andrew’s Cathedral, and Rev Koh Hock Soon.