Beijing+30 Youth Blog: One woman’s journey to champion climate action and zero-waste living in China
Source: UN Women Asia and the Pacific
"Environmental work is meaningless and income-less. Why don't you go home and help your mother with housework?" This is what I frequently heard when I firstly began volunteering with the Qinghai Snowland Great Rivers Environmental Protection Association (SGR Association). Many couldn't understand why I dedicated my time to protecting our water sources, attending various trainings, and creating eco-friendly products to promote sustainable living. But I didn’t let their doubts stop me. The urgency of climate action is too significant to ignore.
I live in Qinghai Province, on the Tibetan Plateau in China. My journey into environmental work began in 2018 when I volunteered to start writing an eco-diary. I record daily observations of the local wildlife, and plants, changing weather patterns, and fluctuations in nearby water sources. Through this practice, I became deeply aware of how climate change was affecting my community.
Starting last year, our local water sources began to dry up, and the grassland in our summer pastures became increasingly scarce. The rising temperatures and decreased rainfall left our livestock with insufficient water and food. As a result, villagers were forced to travel further to get water and purchase additional grass to feed their cows, increasing family expenses. Moreover, the reduced yield of caterpillar fungus—used in traditional Chinese and Tibetan medicine—led to significant financial losses for many in the community.
Read here the full article published by UN Women Asia & The Pacific on 18 September 2024.
"Environmental work is meaningless and income-less. Why don't you go home and help your mother with housework?" This is what I frequently heard when I firstly began volunteering with the Qinghai Snowland Great Rivers Environmental Protection Association (SGR Association). Many couldn't understand why I dedicated my time to protecting our water sources, attending various trainings, and creating eco-friendly products to promote sustainable living. But I didn’t let their doubts stop me. The urgency of climate action is too significant to ignore.
I live in Qinghai Province, on the Tibetan Plateau in China. My journey into environmental work began in 2018 when I volunteered to start writing an eco-diary. I record daily observations of the local wildlife, and plants, changing weather patterns, and fluctuations in nearby water sources. Through this practice, I became deeply aware of how climate change was affecting my community.
Starting last year, our local water sources began to dry up, and the grassland in our summer pastures became increasingly scarce. The rising temperatures and decreased rainfall left our livestock with insufficient water and food. As a result, villagers were forced to travel further to get water and purchase additional grass to feed their cows, increasing family expenses. Moreover, the reduced yield of caterpillar fungus—used in traditional Chinese and Tibetan medicine—led to significant financial losses for many in the community.
Read here the full article published by UN Women Asia & The Pacific on 18 September 2024.
