兰考的绿色行动：一种应对气候变化和减少贫困的模式

 SEETON, THEOPHILUS S

2022级审计硕士留学生

来自利比里亚审计署

一、背景介绍

位于中国中部、黄河沿岸的河南省兰考县，20世纪60年代该地区出现了破坏性的水土流失和生态恶化问题，并由此带来了风沙、内涝和盐碱等自然灾害。

这些自然灾害导致了饥荒和贫困，成千上万人的生活受到威胁，人们迫切地渴望离开兰考去寻找更广阔的天地。为了改变人民的处境，中国共产党在1962年委派焦裕禄担任兰考县委书记。共产党党员焦裕禄毫不犹豫，热情地接受了党的委托，踏上了帮助兰考人民的旅程。

二、气候行动——兰考县的绿色行动

焦裕禄一马当先，动员当地人民积极参与植树造林项目，以减轻自然灾害的影响。他于1963年春天种下第一棵泡桐树，现在被人们亲切地称为 “焦桐”。1978年，兰考县将这棵树列为县级文化遗产，作为焦裕禄精神的象征。

焦裕禄鼓励当地农民种植泡桐树以改善环境，使该地区重焕生机，并提高当地居民的生活水平。

在我们访问兰考县期间，焦裕禄的故事在兰考县展览馆得到了充分的展示。我们了解到他的植树造林和灌溉项目对环境产生了积极影响，并为减轻该地区的自然灾害和气候变化作出了巨大的贡献。

目前，世界各国家都受到了气候变化的影响。根据联合国的说法，气候变化正在导致国家经济动摇，并将对人们今后的生活产生影响。联合国进一步指出，人类活动造成的温室气体排放的增加是造成气候变化的重要原因。气候变化的影响目前正处于历史最高点，如果不进行干预，预计全球平均地表温度将在下个世纪上升，而最脆弱和最贫穷的人们受到的影响是最大的。

二氧化碳是导致气候变化的温室气体之一，在兰考县种植泡桐树可以清除大气中的二氧化碳。焦裕禄和当地农民通过种植数千棵树，为减少大气中的二氧化碳含量，从而减少气候变化带来的后果作出了贡献。

我们进一步了解到，他在兰考县的植树造林和土壤改良举措最终改善了土壤质量，消除了风沙、内涝、盐碱和饥荒等问题。今天，兰考县是绿色的，它被大量的泡桐树覆盖，为抵御自然灾害和气候变化影响提供了保障。

三、扶贫的影响

焦裕禄对减少兰考县气候变化影响的贡献也有助于提高人民的生活水平，人民在社会和经济领域都从他的工作中获益良多。

我们在对该县和其他当地村庄的访问中了解到，农业产出的提高，也提供了生计和其他类型的收入来源，改善了居民的生活质量。例如，村民们用泡桐树的木材制作乐器，并从事其他农业活动以创造收入。

植树造林项目提高了当地居民的经济收入，并为他们提供了新的就业机会。通过让当地人参与植树造林和土壤保护行动，焦裕禄和当地政府能够培养公民对环境和经济效益的主人翁意识和自豪感，这有助于长期维持这些项目。

据兰考当地政府介绍，仅徐场村就有82家传统乐器家庭作坊，有古筝、古琴、琵琶扬琴等20多种30多个系列的产品。该村有150多名群众被乐器加工业雇用到工厂工作，平均月工资为3000元。兰考县13个乡镇和行政村的众多地方都有徐场村的成功经验。

这些令人震惊的收入统计数据可作为全球所有地区，特别是贫困地区经济复兴努力的样板。2017年，兰考县成为中共全面扶贫计划中河南省第一个脱贫的地区。

四、总结

焦裕禄在兰考县的工作提供了一个可持续发展的范式，可以在中国其他地区和世界各地应用，表明环境改善可以和地区发展共存。

焦裕禄的工作也对中国的环境法规产生了较大的影响。他的工作得到了中国政府的充分肯定，他在兰考县的举措为中国其他地区树立了榜样。

焦裕禄在42岁时因肝癌英年早逝，他因致力于保护环境和改善普通人的生活而在中国受到尊重，被誉为英雄。

英文原稿：

The Green Bank of Lankao: A Model for Combating Climate Change and Reducing Poverty

Background

Lankao County, in Henan province, central China, has 870,000 residents and is located along the Yellow River. Due to issues with deforestation in the 1960s, this area experienced devastating soil erosion and ecological deterioration. Consequently, sandstorms, flooding, and other natural calamities beset this County.

These catastrophic disasters created famine and poverty; the aspirations of thousands of people were left in shreds. People had a massive urge to leave the County in search of greener pastures. It was a dare situation in all material proportions!  To remedy the situation of the people, the Communist Party of China in 1962 deputized comrade Jiao Yulu [ in his capacity as local CPC Secretary General] to oversee relief activities.  Party ideologue Jiao Yulu hesitated not. He warmly accepted the party’s mandate and embarked on the journey to help the people of Lankao County. 

Climate Actions - The Green Bank of Lankao County

Jiao Yulu hit the ground running by mobilizing the people to engage in afforestation projects (planting of trees) to mitigate the problems of natural disasters. He demonstrated this to the people by planting a paulownia tree in the spring of 1963 now referred to as “Dear Jiao’s Paulownia”. In 1978, the County government announced the tree planted by Jiao Yulu as a County-level Culture Heritage Site – The symbol of the spirit of Jiao Yulu.

He encouraged the local farmers to plant paulownia trees to enhance the environment, making the area more fruitful and productive and raising the standard of living for those who lived there.

During my recent visit along with fellow International Students of Nanjing Audit University to Lankao County, the story of Jiao Yulu’s prowess is well documented at the Lankao County Exhibition Hall. We learned of how his afforestation and soil conservation programs positively impacted the environment and contributed to mitigating the effects of natural disasters and/or climate change (as we know it today) in the region.

Every nation on every continent is currently being impacted by the effects of climate change. According to the United Nations, Climate Change is causing national economies to falter and is having an impact on people's lives, costing people, communities, and nations dearly today and even more tomorrow.

The UN further intimates that rising greenhouse gas emissions from human activities are what is causing climate change. The UN warns that Climate Change impacts are currently at their highest points ever. Without intervention, the UN warns, it is anticipated that the global average surface temperature would increase during the next century. The most vulnerable and impoverished individuals are most impacted, the UN noted.

The planting of paulownia trees in Lankao County removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, one of the greenhouse gases responsible for climate change. Jiao Yulu and the local farmers contributed to reducing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and so reducing the consequences of climate change by planting thousands of trees.

We further learn of how his afforestation and soil conservation initiatives in Lankao County ultimately improved the quality of the soil and abolished the problems of sand storms, flooding, and famine. Jiao Yulu’s efforts also provided an avenue for a more sustainable source of food for the people. Today, Lankao County is green; the County is covered by a vast amount of paulownia trees providing a defense against natural disasters and/or climate change impacts. 

The Impact of Poverty Alleviation

Jiao Yulu's contribution to reducing the effects of climate change in Lankao County also contributes to raising the people's living standards. The people benefited significantly from his work in both the social and economic spheres.

Our visit to the County and other local villages revealed that enhanced agricultural output, which also provided a source of livelihood and other types of revenue, improved the quality of life for residents. Villagers, for instance, created musical instruments from the wood of paulownia trees and engaged in other agricultural activities to generate income.

The afforestation programs have increased the local population's economic well-being and given them new employment opportunities. By including locals in the afforestation and soil conservation operations, Jiao Yulu and other officials were able to foster a sense of ownership and pride in the environmental and economic benefits, which helped to sustain the programs over time.

According to the Lankao local government, there are eighty-two (82) family workshops for traditional musical instruments, with 20 varieties and more than 30 series of items including guzheng, guqin, and pipa yangqin in Xuchang Village alone. Over 150 people from disadvantaged backgrounds have been hired by the music instrument processing industry to work in factories for an average monthly wage of 3,000 yuan in this village.

For instance, numerous localities in Lankao County's thirteen (13) townships and administrative villages share Xuchang Village's success story.

These astounding revenue statistics serve as a template for all global efforts for economic revival especially in poor communities. In 2017, Lankao County became the first area in Henan Province to be pulled out of poverty as part of the CPC's comprehensive poverty reduction plan.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Jiao Yulu's work in Lankao County provides a paradigm for sustainable development that can be used in other parts of China and around the world, showing how environmental improvement and community growth can coexist.

The work of Jiao Yulu also had a larger effect on Chinese environmental regulations. His work is fully acknowledged by the Chinese government, and his initiatives in Lankao County served as a role model for other areas of China.

Jiao Yulu, who died young at the age of 42 from liver problems, is respected and/or acclaimed as a hero in China for his dedication to preserving the environment and improving the lives of ordinary people.