CrossBorder Environment Concern Association
About CECA[edit]
Mission and vision[edit]
Established in 2013, CrossBorder Environment Concern Association (CECA) is a non-for-profit, nongovernmental organization striving for enhancing public participation on ecological conservation and reducing information asymmetry in environmental regulations. With physical presence across major cities in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) Greater Bay Area and the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area, CECA has become one of the major regional players in coastal conservation and environmental policy research. CECA is committed to analyzing environmental and ecological impacts of major infrastructure projects unrevealed or under-reported by their environmental impact assessment (EIA) reports, aiming at conserving endangered species (e.g. Chinese White Dolphin) and their habitats (e.g. coastal wetlands and mangrove), both of which are increasingly threatened by the intensified coastal development across the PRD.
Organizational structure[edit]
CECA has built up five functional teams, namely the Reclamation Research Team, Ecological Redline Team, Legal & Data Team, Media Team, and Financial & Building Team. All five teams collectively work towards the common goal of conserving the environment and achieving harmony between the environment and humanity in the PRD Greater Bay Area, one of the most developed areas in China.
Strategy and workflow[edit]
A general, typical project workflow for CECA is as follows:
- Financial & Building Team apply for, manage and allocate charity funding for different teams as needed;
- Sourcing: Legal & Data Team monitor relevant announcements by multiple levels of government agencies and search for EIA postings on a weekly basis, with the aim of timely identifying major construction projects with environmental implications in the entire PRD region and updating data on adjustments of natural reserves.
- Screening: The identified projects are further screened by the Cabinet before handed over to Reclamation Research Team (anything related to reclamation) or Ecological Redline Team (anything related to marine protected areas or terrestrial nature reserves other than reclamation) for in-depth research;
- Studying: The two teams identify the key environmental concerns, conduct field research, measure the onsite impacts, investigate into the causes, benchmark the past projects, interview experts and contacts, and finally produce a deliverable in the form of a government submission, complaint letter, research report, social media publication or a legislative proposal, with quality control process completed;
- Submitting: The approved deliverable(s) are submitted to the corresponding counterpart, and/or published on the CECA social media platforms by the Media Team; some important and newsworthy topics are also contributed to the local and national press for further dissemination;
- Cooperating: Based on government's feedback or project proponent's request, CECA may attend public hearings and/or host inter-party dialogues to further discuss concerns over ecological and environmental impacts whenever possible. CECA may insist on objection or work towards an improved plan with lower impacts according to the information collected after best efforts have been made.
- Legal & Data Team and the Financial & Building Team wrap up the projects and record the data as needed; and
- Follow-up actions across teams as needed.
Major projects[edit]
Reclamation[edit]
Reclamation in Dongguan Chang’an new district[edit]
The Dongguan Marine R&D Service Base Reclamation Project is going to cut down coastal mangroves planted since 2003, according to the Chang’an New Area Plan. Through the EIA report and field investigation, CECA identified problems including: mangroves not included as ecologically sensitive target; lack of details on compliance to the area plan as well as the cumulative effects in combination with past and ongoing reclamation projects in Shenzhen west coastlines. These opinions have been sent to the Marine Bureau of Guangdong province, and reported by national medias. Eventually, the Chang’an New Area (now named as Marina Bay Area) management committee has agreed to reserve the areas located within 50m to the estuarine, and promised to make new plans to establish a 1000-hectare wetland park for local mangrove forests. The plan is still being adjusted for the current time being, and CECA keeps communicating with relevant departments for further updates.
Reclamation in western Shenzhen Emerging Industry Base[edit]
In 2016, CECA filed an application to the Municipality Oceanic Administration of Shenzhen for public disclosure of the sea area utilization approval of the Western Shenzhen Emerging Industry Base. As per CECA’s request, environment impact assessments on mangroves and Chinese white dolphins as well as related conservation solutions were reflected in the “Oceanic Environmental Impact Assessment (Abridged Edition)” published in October 2016. CECA will follow up on this project to minimize the potential ecological damage.
Reclamation for LNG Terminal in Shenzhen Dapeng Bay[edit]
CECA have been following the PetroChina LNG terminal reclamation in Shenzhen during 2014-2015. By participating in public hearings and multiparty dialogues together with publishing research reports on the EIAs, the project proponent revised the EIA to reduce the reclamation area by 20% and, in light of CECA’s suggestions, the revision also included the impact assessments towards coral and cross-border seas.
Reclamation in Tianjin Hangu[edit]
In 2017, CECA spotted unauthorized reclamation around the middle part of Hangu coast in Tianjin Binhai new district without project verification. CECA submitted relevant investigation and analysis to the State Oceanic Administration and have received positive feedback from the enforcement department. On 17 August, local law-enforcement department executed the rights of enforcement and management on the construction site and all the personnel concerned. This illegal reclamation is handled as a criminal case and is now under investigation.
Ecological redline[edit]
Statistics about occupancy of basic ecological control line[edit]
The Shenzhen Ecological Control Line was originally established in 2005 and updated in 2013. Up until the end of 2015, there is 974 km2 of land area (total land area in Shenzhen: 1952.8 km2) located within the control line. However, due to the frequent land-use occupancy and downward adjustment in the range limit, the land area with actual ecological control function is far less than 974 km2. Ever since the establishment of the Ecological Control Line in 2005, Shenzhen government has already made two rounds of major adjustments in the range limit in 2011 and 2013. Besides, there are occasional changes in range border each year. For example, five land parcels were excluded from the control range in year 2012 alone.
There are 910 construction projects reaching the scope of the Ecological Control Line between 2009 and 2017, taking over up to 5525 hectares of land area cumulatively, which accounts for 5.7% of total land areas within the control line. 41% of the land-use are for municipal and public facilities, and 29% and 23% are for transportation usage and other utilities, respectively. Urban parks also contribute to 6% of the total land-use changes. Although the number of new projects involving the control line are small in some years, the general trend is to increase over time.
Tianjin Sewage Treatment Plant[edit]
The Tianjin Xiqing Sewage Treatment Plant relocation project was directly related to three ecological redline zones of Permanently Conserved Areas. Based on onsite investigations of the surrounding ecological environment and research on the project’s EIA, CECA found the EIA is ignoring key assessment of potential impacts on wetlands and birds. Besides, sewages from the treatment plant has already severely exceeded the environmental capacity of the river. Although this project did not pass the initiation and approval stage, CECA found it had been illegally under construction without approval. CECA will follow up on this project to minimize its ecological impacts.
Current events[edit]
Landslide in Shenzhen[edit]
On 20 December 2015, a landslide tragedy happened in Hengtaiyu Industrial Park in Guangming New Area of Shenzhen, which caused at least 73 deaths. After the incident, CECA immediately analyzed related EIAs and historical satellite images and was the first to identify large-scale ecological destructions over the past 12 years around the mud dumping site area where the incident occurred. These distortions destroyed the original soil conservation by natural mountains. Despite the large area and high level of the relevant mud dumping site, there were no public information about the announcement of Soil & Water Conservation Assessments for this project. Additionally, no public participation was included in the process of EIA. Given the fact that the Ecological Control Line was severely occupied, CECA statistically analyzed projects that occupied the Ecological Control Line in Shenzhen (see 3.2.1 for details).
Explosion in Tianjin[edit]
On 12 August 2015, an explosion happened in a hazard storeroom of Tianjin Dongjiang Port Rui Hai International Logistics Company. After the accident, CECA found that EIA can expose much more information than the Safety Assessment Report. Therefore, CECA analyzed the difference between EIA and Safety Assessment Report in China. A range of problems were raised: lack of announcement during the process of approval, unclear responsibility of approvals, low level of public participation. Hence, we tried to promote safety information disclosure and public participation in order to prevent similar accidents in the future.
Policy proposal[edit]
Adjustment in Classified Administration Catalogue of Environmental Impact Assessments for Construction Projects[edit]
In 2014, State Environmental Protection Bureau released the consultation paper for “Catalogue for the Classified Administration of Environmental Impact Assessments for Construction Projects”. CECA submitted a list of suggestions to the Environmental Protection Bureau during the public consultation period. The final version of this official document adopted many of our suggestions, including higher standards of EIA requirements for controversial projects with great environmental impacts.
Eco-tour[edit]
Zhuxiandong Reservoir and mangrove in Zhongshan-Zhuhai Junction[edit]
CECA has organized several eco-tours to the Zhuxiandong Reservoir and mangrove in Zhongshan-Zhuhai Junction, which attracted more than 200 participants in total. As one of the water sources for Macau, Zhuxiandong Reservoir is also a level I drinking water protected area. The mangrove in Zhongshan-Zhuhai Junction is located at the boarder of Zhuhai and Zhongshan and next to the Xijiang River, which makes a great contribution to the purification of water sources for Macau. However, the lush mangrove forest with well-preserved wetlands does not catch much attention from the public. Based on the previous street survey in Macau, CECA found that most Macau residents knew little about the location of drinking water sources for Macau. Hence, we organized eco-tours in Zhuxiandong Reservoir and mangrove in Zhongshan-Zhuhai Junction to arouse the awareness among residents in Zhuhai and Macau to preserve water resources.
Tai Sheck Mo Hill and Long Valley in Hong Kong[edit]
The Tai Shek Mo Hill in north New Territories is a famous hiking destination lying in the restricted area of the Shenzhen-Hong Kong boarder, which is very close to the Shenzhen River. Standing on the top of the mountain, one can clearly see the boundary of Shenzhen and Hong Kong. Mangroves on both sides of the Shenzhen River used to be lush. However, with more and more high-rise buildings constructed along the river in recent years, mangroves become rarer at the river bank on the Shenzhen side. This scene is in striking contrast to the lush mangroves across the river in Hong Kong. Another destination of our eco-tour is the Long Valley near the Tai Shek Mo. The Long Valley is one of the most important stopovers for migratory birds other than the Mai Po Nature Reserve, with 210 kinds of birds observed in its 25 hectares of wetland. Eco-tours to the Tai Shek Mo Hill and the Long Valley advocate reverences for and connections with the nature. Apart from appreciating the beauty of the nature, CECA is working on arousing the awareness of residents to protect our environment and ecosystems.
Qiniang Mountain in Shenzhen[edit]
As the second highest mountain in Shenzhen, Qiniang Mountain lies in the Dapeng Peninsula in Long Gang, Shenzhen. It is located in a strategic area in the Dapeng Peninsula (where the Qiniang Mountain is in) and facing the Mirs Bay (composed of Yantian in Shenzhen and Sai Kung in Hong Kong), where the increasing number of reclamation projects locally are under long-term monitoring by CECA. In the golden October, if hiking on the Qiniang Mountain, one can fully enjoy the scenery of the Mirs Bay, the Yantian Port and Sai Kung East Country Park. In addition to enjoying beautiful sceneries, CECA tries to encourage residents to know more about reclamation and increase their awareness of potential consequences.
Media coverage[edit]
South China Morning Post[edit]
The Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post has reported on several environmental issues raised by CECA. One of the news reports focused on the Zhuhai Guishan Offshore Wind Farm project which is set to generate clean and renewable energy. However, CECA identified key ecological threats posted by the project. Locating only 2.5km away from the Pearl River Estuary Chinese White Dolphin Nature Reserve, the project has significant impact on this near threatened species. Impacts of construction, including noise and pollution, will bring disturbance to the dolphins and threaten their survival.
Related News Articles
White dolphins under further threat ... now from green energy project
Johnny Wei founded cross-border green group to get public involved in planning
Related CECA Posts (Chinese only)
ThePaper.cn[edit]
The Shanghai-based ThePaper.cn has reported on the Third Runway Reclamation Project of Shenzhen Airport which was closely followed by CECA. The project is set to expand the airport by building a third runway. But CECA brings opposing view that measures of protecting White Chinese Dolphin were omitted in its EIA report. The Six Tone, the English version of the ThePaper.cn has reported on the Chimelong Reclamation Project in Hengqing New Area, also a key concern of CECA. Chimelong plans to build an artificial island to expand the theme park, however, the same issue is prominent here as well. Its EIA report didn’t mention how to protect dolphins and CECA attended the public hearing to put forward the opposing opinion.
Related News Articles
Guangdong Theme Park’s Land Reclamation Irks Environmentalists
Related CECA Posts (Chinese only)
Der Spiegel[edit]
Der Spiegel quoted CECA’s account of the 2015 Shenzhen landslide incident when reporting on this “man-made disaster”. By checking historical images and EIA report, CECA found that although the landfill site is protected by the Shenzhen City Ecological Control Line, there had been two major environmental destructions in the past 12 years and therefore the mountain no longer plays its ecological role to conserve land. Besides, CECA urged the authorities to publicize measures of water and soil conservation of this project due to the large size of the landfill site. Additionally, CECA pointed out the potential compliance issue that public participation in the EIA process was not publicly available as required.
Related News Articles:
Die menschengemachte Katastrophe (The man-made disaster)
Related CECA Posts (Chinese only)
《连续三个涨停板？！深圳生态线历年被侵占近千次，面积相当于263个鸟巢》
Caixin Weekly[edit]
Caixin Weekly quoted CECA when reporting on the Dongguan Chang’an New District Reclamation Project which plans urban expansion in expense of a 70-hectare mangrove forest. Partially forced by Caixin Weekly and CECA’s continuous report on and exposure of this issue, existing mangroves will not only be preserved but be expanded to a mangrove wetland park.
Related News Articles (Chinese only)
Related CECA Posts (Chinese only)
External Links[edit]
This article "CrossBorder Environment Concern Association" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:CrossBorder Environment Concern Association. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
