The World Bank Loan

Guizhou Cultural and Natural Heritage Protection and Development Project of the World Bank Loan

Social Assessment Report

Center for Ethnic and Folk Literature and Arts Development, Ministry of Culture

GuizhouProvincialCenter for Tourism Research and Public Outreach

April, 2008

Abstract

The proposed Guizhou Cultural & Natural Heritage Protection and Development Project involves 18 villages, 4 ancient towns, 4 scenic sites, and 5 gateway towns, ranging over 19 counties in 4 prefectures and municipalities. Among the 19 counties, 13 are national poverty counties, and 13 are ethic autonomous counties. The total beneficiary population of the project is 66957. 65.7% of the beneficiaries are ethnic minorities, the population of which is 43965, and the total of Miao, Dong, Buyi accounts for more than 90%. Under the guidelines in OP4.10, the social consultant assessment team conducted field investigation in the project sites.

The social assessment report comprises 7 chapters, in 2 parts:

Part I: Project Fundamentals and Free, Prior, and Informed Consultation

Chapter 1 Project background: project objectives/components/themes, purpose and principles of social assessment, site selecting and methodology of social assessment.

Chapter 2 Baseline information of project sites: project beneficiaries, socioeconomic profiles, ethnic minorities composition and the related policies. It is identified that, according to OP4.10, most residents in project sites are Indigenous peoples.

Chapter 3 Free, prior, and informed consultation: a summary of free, prior, and informed consultation in project stakeholders, problems found out in consultation process and proposed solutions, consultant methods and procedures of the social assessment consultant team, consultant processes in different project sites, and feedback from stakeholders. It is indicated that the proposed project has obtained broad community support and receive high expectancy from stakeholders in general.

Part II: Project Analysis

Chapter 4 Stakeholders analysis: project stakeholderidentification, project beneficiaries’ demand analysis, and project stakeholders’ benefit analysis.

Chapter 5 Impact analysis: categorized by project theme: villages, ancient towns, natural heritage and scenic sites, gateway towns, and capacity building. Analysis of different project components was to explore the general impact as well as specific impacts on particular sites. Meanwhile, the social risks are identified and analysis, In general, positive impacts overwhelmed adverse ones.

Chapter 6 Suggestions and social action plans: suggestions for optimizing project design are presented, and furthermore, social action plans for the Cultural Heritage protection and Indigenous Peoples benefits are also prepared.

Chapter 7 Assessment on the need of a separate IPP

Special assessment has been conducted in project sites, according to the IPP requirements in OP4.10. It is concluded that a separate IPP is not needed.

Contents

Contents

Introduction

Part I Project Fundamentals

1 Project Background

1.1 Project Development Objective

1.2 Project Components and Themes

1.3 Purpose and Principles of SA

1.4 Site-Selection of SA

1.5 Methodology of Social Assessment

1.6 Report Structure

2 Socioeconomic Condition of the Project Sites

2.1 Baseline Information of the Project Sites

2.2 Identification of Indigenous Peoples in Project Sites

2.3 Policies and Laws That Protect Ethnic Minorities’ Rights in the Project Sites

2.4 Characteristics of the Ethnic Cultural Heritage in Project Sites

3 Free, Prior, and Informed Consultation

3.1 Consultation with Project Stakeholders

3.2 Problems and Proposed Solutions

3.3 Consultation within the Social Assessment

3.3.1 Framework of the Free, Prior and Informed Consultation

3.3.2 Specifics in Each Project Site

3.3.3 Feedback of Social Assessment Consultation

Part Ⅱ Project Analysis

4 Analysis of Project Stakeholders

4.1 Identification of Project Stakeholders

4.1.1 Main Stakeholders

4.1.2 Other Stakeholders

4.2 Demand Analysis of Stakeholders

4.3 Benefits Analysis of the Stakeholders

4.3.1 Potencial Project Componets Selection

4.3.2 Benefit Analysis of Main Stakeholders

4.3.3 Benefit Analysis of Other Stakeholders

5 Social Impact Analysis

5.1 Ethnic Minority Cultural Heritage Protection (in Villages and Ancient Towns)

5.1.1 Investments in Infrastructure

5.1.2 Rehabilitation and Protection of Traditional Buildings

5.1.3 Safeguards and Support for Intangible Heritage Protection

5.1.4 Tourist Information Centers and Culture Preservation Centers

5.1.5 The Small Loan Program

5.2 Natural Heritage and Scenic Site Protection and Development

5.3 Gateway Town Facilities

5.4 Capacity Building Support and Project Implementation Support

5.4.1 Project management and monitoring

5.4.2 Community Support and Organization Capacity Building

5.4.3 Architectural Guidelines and Business Planning Manual

5.4.4 Update of the Guizhou Tourism Master Plan and Implementation

Support to VTAs

5.5 Problems and Risks for Cultural Heritage Protection

5.5.1 Lack of Community Participation and Villager-Participation

5.5.2 Inadequate Understanding on the Issue of Cultural Heritage Protection

5.5.3 Lack of Protection of Ethnic Handicrafts, Folk Arts, Traditional Skills, and Rituals

5.5.4 The Great Risk of Over Commercialization

5.5.5 The problems with the renovation of old buildings

5.5.6 The Building of Village Hotel and Family Museum Should follow Certain Criteria

5.5.7 Lack of Funding

5.5.8 Inadequacy of Villagers’ Capacities

6 Suggestions and Social Action Plans

6.1 Suggestions for Project Design

6.1.1 Ethnic Minority Cultural Heritage Protection (Investments in villages and ancient towns)

6.1.2 Natural Heritage and Scenic Site Protection and Development

6.1.3 Gateway Town Facilities

6.1.4 Capacity Building Support and Project Implementation Support

6.2 Actions to Protect Cultural Heritage

6.2.1 Safeguard the Interests of Minority Villages and Prevent from Over-Commercialization

6.2.2 Income Generation and Poverty Alleviation in Minority Villages

6.3 Actions to Benefit Indigenous Peoples

6.3.1 Actions Relevant to Indigenous Peoples in Ethnic Minority Cultural Heritage Protection

6.3.2 Actions Relevant to Indigenous Peoples in Natural Heritage and Scenic Site Protection and Development

6.3.3 Actions Relevant to Indigenous Peoples in Gateway Town Facilities

6.3.4 Actions Relevant to Indigenous Peoples in Capacity Building project

7 Assessment on the Need of a Separate IPP

7.1 Assessment Criteria

7.2 Assessment on each project category

7.2.1 Ethnic Minority Cultural Heritage Protection( in villages and towns )

7.2.2 Natural Heritage and Scenic Site Protection and Development

Introduction

This social assessment report (SA) has been prepared for the proposed Guizhou Cultural & Natural Heritage Protection and Development Project (hereafter referred to as “the project”), complying with World Bank OP4.10. Field investigations were carried out at the 20 project sites for a total of 20 days, in May and November, 2007, by the joint-efforts of the social assessment consultation team and the resettlement consultation team. The final assessment results are therefore divided into two parts, the former is the social assessment report (by TsinghuaUniversity experts) and the latter RIs (by HohaiUniversity experts).

The PRA (participatory rural appraisal) methodology was adopted in the social assessment, including group discussions, semi-structured interviews, direct observations, questionnaire surveys, and desktop study. The first draft was completed in September, 2007, and the final report in March, 2008.

The project chooses Guizhou primarily based on its striking richness of intangible heritage and the natural beauty of the landscape, which not only represents valuable assets for tourism and thereby generate economic benefit, but also contains the potential to preserve cultural diversity, revitalize indigenous communities, and facilitate social development of indigenous peoples.

Guizhou province lies in one of the two extremely impoverished regions identified in China’s Agenda 21. Of the total 39.5 million people in Guizhou, 85% are rural population, distributed in more than 50 thousand villages. Per capita annual income of rural residents is 1877 RMB, the lowest in China. The natural environment in Guizhou is vulnerable, of weak agricultural infrastructure, frequent natural disasters, and heavy loss of soil and water. Despite of economic poverty, Guizhou is distinguished by its rich cultural resources and knowledge, preserved in ethnic minority groups, which constitutes 37.85% of the whole provincial population. Meanwhile, the cultural and natural heritage is made vulnerable by over-commercialization under social change and globalization, in particular.

The purpose of the Social Assessment is to provide evidence and safeguards for project design and implementation, through measurements on mitigating adverse impacts and promoting positive ones, after comprehensive evaluations on the project’s possible social/cultural impacts on local communities. The breadth, depth, and type of analysis are proportional to the nature and scale of the proposed project’s potential effects on the Indigenous Peoples.

The social assessment has received robust support from the Provincial and Local Project Management Offices, as well as local government and villagers in project sites. Guizhou Tourism Bureau offered substantial help to the social assessment process. The social assessment consultant team sincerely appreciates all the efforts made by the aforementioned people and groups.

Part I Project Fundamentals

1 Project Background

1.1 Project Development Objective

Guizhou is a multi-ethnic province in south-western China, 37.85% of the population of which belongs to ethnic minority groups. Splendid indigenous cultures and resources distinguish the province as a diversified cultural field while make it vulnerable to social changes and globalization. The project chooses Guizhou primarily based on its striking richness of intangible heritage and the natural beauty of the landscape, which not only represents valuable assets for tourism and thereby generate economic benefit, but also contains the potential to preserve cultural diversity, revitalize indigenous communities, and facilitate social development of indigenous peoples.

The project objective is to better protect cultural and natural heritage in local communities including minority groups, national parks, and increase economic benefits through increased tourism in participating sites. In order to achieve the harmony of human development and rural tourism, actions would be taken, such as prioritized and sustainable investments in infrastructure, initiatives to enhance incomes of the ethnic population, and a set of tourism industry interventions paying special attention to the protection and development of Guizhou’s natural and cultural heritage, as well as by capacity building in tourism and protection sectors.

1.2 Project Components and Themes

Project interventions will be in Qiandongnan, QianxinanPrefectures, Guiyang and AnshunMunicipality, of 19 counties. Project implementations aim at following purposes:

Improvement in infrastructure and capacity building in cultural & natural heritage protection at village level;

Inheritance and development of ethnic cultural traditions and skills such as craft, rituals and arts;

Enhancement in sense of community participation, cultural protection and identity;

Innovation in management of cultural & natural heritage protection and development.

Project components are organized by 4 themes: Ethnic Minority Cultural Heritage Protection (in villages and ancient towns), Natural Heritage and Scenic Site Protection and Development, Gateway Town Facilities, Capacity Building Support and Project Implementation Support.

Tab 1.1 project themes and components

1. Ethnic Minority Cultural Heritage Protection

Tab 1.2：Project loan Summary

1.3 Purpose and Principles of SA

The purpose of the Social Assessment is to provide evidence and safeguards for project design and implementation, through measurements on mitigating adverse impacts and promoting positive ones, after comprehensive evaluations on the project’s possible social/cultural impacts on local communities. The breadth, depth, and type of analysis are proportional to the nature and scale of the proposed project’s potential effects on the Indigenous Peoples.

Principles of social assessment echo the founding theories of this project, heritage protection and human development, to promote rural tourism. These include social justice, cultural freedom and respect, guarantee of property right and interests, poverty alleviation, moderate commercialization, community participation and self-governance, sustainable development, should be carried out throughout the design and implementation of the project.

1.4 Site-Selection of SA

The Social Assessment selected the project sites according to the following criteria:

Balancing among the four prefectures and municipalities;

Covering different project components and items;

Covering villages representative of different ethnicities.

20 project sites (including 2 resettlement sites) are investigated, including 3 natural and cultural scenic sites, 3 ancient towns, 11 minority villages, as well as 3 information centre and museum.

Tab 1.3：SA Site Selection Summary

1.5 Methodology of Social Assessment

The PRA (participatory rural appraisal) methodology was adopted in the social assessment, including group discussions, semi-structured interviews, direct observations, questionnaire surveys, and desktop study. Following methods were adopted in fieldwork: